Beneath a Shadow
by Kizmet
Summary: Following event in "Flashpoint" legislation is passed limiting mutant enrollment in public school. The Institute is flooded with new students and a rival school, Emma Frost's Boston Academy opens it's doors.
1. Fallout

**Fallout** Disclaimer: Characters are the property of Marvel, I'm just playing with them, I promise to put them back later. 

Jean Grey stepped out of the taxi and smoothed her skirt with a hint of nervousness. She glanced up at the looming Triashlon building that housed SHIELD's headquarters then started inside with a confident, resolute set to her shoulders. 

At the front desk the secretary gave the young woman a skeptical look. 

"I'm Jean Grey. I have appointments with Cornel Fury and Dr… um… Hunter?" 

The other woman checked her appointment book. "The mutant evaluation, right." She gestured to two towering, armored guards. "They'll escort you to Dr. Hunter's office." 

Jean nodded and reluctantly fell into step between her two guards. Rationally she knew she could incapacitate both of them with a thought but just being treated like a dangerous criminal was intimidating and disheartening. 

The Triashlon's office level was a maze of featureless corridors. Jean wondered if the people working there ever got lost or went insane from the oppressive sameness of it. 

The solider on her right, anonymous and inhuman inside his armor and helmet, stopped and knocked on one of the hundreds of identical doors. He paused a moment then opened it. Jean assumed the secretary had called ahead with a warning. 

The office on the other side of the door contrasted sharply with the sterile halls. It was filled with a homey clutter. A battered desk was pushed up against the far wall and several comfortable looking chairs were scattered around a low coffee table. 

The office's owner swiveled her chair around to face them. When the petite, black woman went to greet them Jean couldn't help but notice the slight limp that marred her otherwise perfect grace. "Stevie Hunter." The woman greeted her as she extended a hand. "You must be Ms. Grey." 

Jean shook her hand. The red head grimaced a little. "Of course. I don't suppose any other prospective college students had to submit to a psychiatric examination before being admitted to school?" 

Stevie shrugged. "How many of your potential classmates can lift cars with the power of their minds?" She replied. "Gentlemen, you can go back to your business. Ms. Grey, I'll be taping our conversation if you don't mind." 

"Fine." Jean replied as Stevie directed her to take a seat. 

"I'd like to start out by going over some background details." Stevie said as she took a seat next to Jean. "You were fourteen when you first began studies at the Xavier Institute?" 

"Yes." Jean replied. 

"You enrolled at Bayville High as a freshman and graduated after a rather tumulus senior year." 

"That's a polite way of putting it." 

"How would you put it?" 

Jean hesitated. "Tumulus works for me." 

"Alright." Stevie said with a slight incline of her head. "Prior to being revealed as a mutant you were very active in extracurricular activities: You were a member of the year book staff, active in student body government, made the variety girl's soccer team as a sophomore, went to state with your team every year afterwards and were named MVP your senior year. Your grades are excellent." 

Jean preened a bit as her accomplishments were listed. 

"However, after it became know that you were a mutant you were asked to resign from all those activities. How did you feel about that?" 

"Hurt." Jean said. "Principal Kelly, my teachers and my friends acted like being a mutant meant I wasn't a person. They thought that because I had the ability to cheat that I must be a cheat; like I don't have any sort of moral code." 

"You hid your powers from them." Stevie said in a neutral voice. "Why should they trust you when you say you wouldn't misuse those powers?" 

"I dated, kissed a guy who hates mutants. He confessed to murdering one of my friends, after shooting at him twice before." Jean exclaimed. "What does that tell you about how often I go around prying into other people's thoughts? If I had realized how he felt about people who were different do you honestly think I would have ever let him touch me?" 

"I suppose not." Stevie replied. 

Jean shifted then smoothed her skirt primly over her knees. 

"That's a reasonable segue into me asking you how you feel about Lance Alvers." 

Jean looked straight at Stevie. "What do you want to know about Lance? He is… was one of my friends." 

"But not always." Stevie replied. "According to your Principal the students from the Brotherhood Boarding House were originally your rivals. In fact he went so far as to describe the relationship between them and your fellow students set the Xavier Institutes as being a gang war." 

"Lance, Pietro, Fred and Todd were beholden to some very bad influences." Jean said. "Once we got to know them for themselves, apart from the people who'd been controlling them, they're okay. We all like each other now." 

"However, your being here today is a direct result of Lance Alver's actions. In the next few weeks it is almost inevitable that the legislature will pass a bill requiring all students attending public schools to be tested for an active X-gene. If a person is found to be a mutant they will be required by law to prove that they are capable of and willing to maintain control over their powers. Your college asked that you voluntarily submit yourself to this rather than interrupting your classes later." 

"Lance was brainwashed. It wasn't his fault." Jean said. 

"By another mutant correct?" Stevie pointed out. Jean nodded. "And that's why this new law is going to be passed." 

Jean's lips thinned. 

"How do you feel about that?" 

"In the last year a dozen 'normal' high school students brought guns to school and tried to blow away their classmates. Why is it that you only want mutants to under go psychiatric evaluation?" 

"None of them leveled an entire downtown." Stevie said. "How bad would it have been if you and your friends hadn't intervened? How much damage was Lance capable of doing?" 

Jean flinched. "It's still not fair." 

"Some people might say it's not fair you have powers and they don't." Stevie replied. 

Jean bit her lip then sighed. "Yeah they probably would. I know we have extra responsibilities because of what we can do. I try really, really hard to live up to that, to always do the right thing. Even my friends think I'm a teacher's pet, but you know what? It's not enough. It's never enough. I'll pass your tests with flying colors. I am in control of my powers. I am a sane, nice, responsible person. I can prove that to you. I can save people's lives. It won't change anything. People will still hear I'm a mutant and nothing else will matter to them." 

"Then why bother trying?" Stevie asked. 

"What else should I do? Give up? Go hide in a cave and cry? Hate everyone? I'll keep trying, thanks." 

****** ****** ****** 

"Professor Xavier, it's a pleasure to meet you." A woman with blonde hair pulled into a neat bun at the base of her neck said as she offered Xavier her business card. "I'm Val Cooper, I've been charged with implementing the President's new mutant laws." 

"Congress hasn't voted yet." Xavier replied. 

"A formality at most." A red-haired man with a crew cut announced. 

Val frowned at him. "You'll have to excuse Mr. Gyrich Professor. He tends to be rather outspoken. However, the smart money says he's right and considering the difficulties facing us I'd like to get a jump on things. I believe you already know Mr. Kelly?" 

Kelly nodded curtly. 

The silver-blonde woman sitting to Kelly's left offered a cool smile and extended a well-manicured hand. "Emma Frost, Headmistress of the newly formed Massachusetts' Academy." She said. 

"I'm Donald Pierce, Principal of Boston's PS 113." The last man announced. Xavier's eyes widen in surprise as he realized the hand he was shaking was a prosthetic." 

"Henry Gyrich, I'm here to see that Ms. Cooper's bleeding heart tendencies don't get the better of her." Val's colleague proclaimed. 

Val smiled sweetly at him. "Henry, I've told you a hundred times: the KGB is not a good roll model. Shall we get down to business? In just over a month it is highly likely all Middle School and High School students in this country will be tested to see if they're mutants. The text says if they prove they can control their powers and pass a psychiatric evaluation they'll be readmitted to their school. The reality is very few of those kids are going to pass, it's not their fault, it's just that psychiatric review is so subjective. We've already begun testing in a number of private schools, extrapolating from that data we're anticipating at least hundred teenagers will need a place. That's after taking into account the parents who will choose home schooling." 

"A hundred?" Xavier exclaimed. "I don't have the resources to manage that kind of a student body. I have a staff of four adults; only two of us are accredited teachers. I don't have the housing for that many children. Good Lord, the kitchen can just barely handle the twenty-odd people currently using it now. How do you expect me to be ready for five times the current student body in just a month?" 

"I don't expect you to do it alone." Val replied. "Ms. Frost's Academy will be prepared for roughly half the expected students. Also we've purchased one of the properties adjacent to your Institute. I'm in the process of arranging for renovations to turn the building into a cafeteria, dorm rooms and some classrooms." 

"And teachers?" Xavier asked. 

"Mr. Pierce and I have worked out an agreement where a number of his teachers will be conducting one class each at my Academy." Ms. Frost commented smoothly. 

Kelly squirmed. "I barely have enough teachers to cover my classes as it is." 

"I'll arrange a grant for you to hire several additional instructors." Val said. 

The corners of Kelly's mouth turned downward. "In that case, I'm certain I'll be able to manage it." He said with a sigh. 

****** ****** ****** 

Jean wrapped herself in a telekinetic shield then floated up to eye-level with the reflective bulletproof windows that gave the control room a view of the simulation below. "Cornel Fury, is this supposed to be a test of my control or a job interview?" She asked. "I can ward off bullets and flip over tanks until doomsday and you won't learn anything about whether or not I'm safe to roam around a college campus." 

"What do you suggest?" Fury asked after keying the microphone. 

"Ask me to use my telekinesis to build a house of cards in the middle of a shopping mall." Jean replied. "I have to screen out dozens of people's thoughts while simultaneously using my powers with precision and delicacy. That would show you how good I am. This is just an exorcise in brute force and I'm not looking for employment with your group so don't start coming up with ideas about how you can use me." 

****** ****** ****** 

Rich started as the newspaper hit his desk with a loud thwack. "Something came up, I'll call you back." He said. Then turned to the source of the disturbance. "Is there a problem Mr. Jamison?" 

"What is the first rule of journalism?" Jamison demanded rhetorically. "You report the news, you don't become it. And if you have to break that rule you make damn sure a paper-man, not some TV bimbo, gets the scoop… So why the hell is Tilibily digging around in your background?" 

Rich just looked at his boss and waited. 

Jamison chuckled. "She's chasing a coincidence?" He asked. 

Rich glanced away. "When you asked about our names…" 

"You lied." Jamison said. "I ought to be reading you the riot act, but I'm just going to ask why." 

Rich sighed. "I guess I wanted an excuse to see him. I'm an investigative reporter, he asked me not to find him… I'm sure you realize how hard that was." 

"I'm being patient here, it's not a strong suit. What was he to you?" 

"He's my son." 

"Hell Alvers. I'm sorry." 

"Lance isn't dead." Rich stated. "I know when I'm being lied to and I'm going to find out what's really happening. The prosecution over-estimated their reach and Murdock was going to use that to shred their case. The man's a damn good lawyer. Kirkland needed a pattern of reckless disregard for human life. It didn't exist." 

"Right, try 'em for murder the defense proves it was manslaughter and they're innocent. Can't try 'em again because of double jeopardy." Jamison glanced over his shoulder toward the sound of transparently fake coughing. "What? I'm being sensitive." 

Robbie Johnson shook his head and gave Rich a sympathetic look. "So the case was going well?" He asked. 

"Yeah, it makes a guy wonder why Lance's friends would feel the need to fake his death." Rich said. "Trish can chase Lance's past to heart's comment. I'm going to find out who was trying to hurt my son and see they don't get away with it. I failed him every other way imaginable, this once I'm going to be there for him." 

"Okay, look into it. If it's a story get back to me." 

"Thanks." Rich said. 

Jamison watched him walk away then turned to Robbie. "Parent's denial or reporter's instincts?" He asked. "Oh quit looking at me like that. We're talking about his kid. It's not as if I could get him thinking about something else and if there was anything funny going on behind the scenes he's motivated to find it." 


	2. Preparatory Moves

**Preparatory Moves** Disclaimer: Characters and setting are the property of Marvel, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun. 

Thanks for the feedback: LadyEvils, damien455, Jaina12, DemonRogue13, DoubleL27, Risty, Little Blue Dragon, Miracles, raniatlw, Dusty, crazyspaceystracey, Goofn1 

Author's Notes: The timeline for this story is Jean's test takes place roughly three months after Lance's escape from jail in "Flashpoint". 

Xavier waited while his students settled in around the Institute's living room. A gust of wind sent papers flying all over the room then resolved into Pietro. Rogue as he picked her up and stole her chair, but her annoyance faded as he settled her on his lap. "Sorry I'm late." He said. "I had to talk to my calculus TA." 

"Ten seconds is hardly late Pietro." Xavier said with a slight smile then sighed. "I've been told to start expecting new students in two weeks. The staff at Bayville High will be helping out with academics but I'm going to need all of you to help make them feel at home here and to help with their powers." 

"You can count on us Professor." Kurt said. 

Xavier nodded to him. "Also you'll all need to submit for testing yourselves. Both Jean and Pietro passed without difficulty. Dr. Hunter is being exceptionally fair. I want as many of you enrolled in Bayville High as possible. Rogue, you were always Logan's best student when it comes to unarmed combat. I'd like you to take over his classes." 

"Course Professor." Rogue replied. 

"Finally, I'm going to have to ask all of you to put up with some shuffling of rooms. With the number of students anticipated we'll be switching to a more traditional residence hall system. You'll be acting as residence advisors to the newer students and I want your rooms to be close to your groups." 

Bobby raised his hand. "With everyone getting kicked out of public schools will Jubilee be coming back?" He asked hopefully. 

"Yes, Jubilee's parents have contacted me…" 

"Alright!" Bobby exclaimed. 

"I'm expecting both of you to be role models to the newer students." Hank interjected. "The positive sort." 

"Scott's brother Alex will also be joining us. Wanda will be taking classes here, although Magda and Django feel it's best if she continues living at home." 

"Mom and Papa want her to socialize more." Pietro volunteered. "And it's not like she can just run home for dinner like Rogue and I do." 

"Is Roberto coming back?" Amara asked. 

"The mutant situation in Brazil hasn't changed, Roberto's parents still feel it's safer for him at home." Xavier said. 

Amara sighed. 

"I am sure you will see him again someday." Ororo assured the girl. "And until then I am also certain there will be any number of things to keep your mind occupied. 

"Are there any other questions?" Xavier asked. 

"I'm not going to be the youngest anymore!" Jamie exclaimed. "Yes! Respect, finally!" 

Sam leaned over and ruffled the younger boy's hair. "They'll be newer sure, but chances are you'll still be youngest." 

Jamie crossed his arms and scowled. 

"I'm going to go scope out the new dorm." Evan announced. "Pick a good room, you know." 

"One near the cafeteria." Kurt suggested. 

As the gathering broke up Ororo said. "Kitty, your parents called, they want you to go home this weekend." 

"Again?" Kitty demanded. "Can't you tell them I'm sick?" 

"No." 

****** ****** ****** 

"Mr. Lehnsherr, you're a hard man to find." Emma frost said. 

"And you are a presumptuous woman, assuming I wished to be found." Magneto replied as he looked down on her coldly. 

"Let's face facts Mr. Lehnsherr. You are a general with no army; a preacher with no congregation." 

"Why are you here?" Magneto demanded. The slender chain around Emma's throat tightened threatening. 

The aristocratic blonde tilted her head back and smiled seductively. "I have what you need, assuming you can swallow enough of your pride to deal civilly with me. The government has, oh so helpfully, proposed to collect this country's young mutants for me. They will rip them from their families and friends and send them to me to educate; they will be a captive audience and ripe for your message. We can pick and choose the cream of the crop. Ms. Darkholme offered you Charles Xavier's rejects. Left to your own devices you resorted to brainwashing, threats and blackmail…" Emma shook her head and made a soft tsk-ing noise. "A remarkably shortsighted solution, truly I expected better from you. Now the humans make your case for you. Their fearful, draconian stance will drive our people into your arms." 

As Emma spoke the necklace loosen around her throat, link by link. "And what do you gain from this?" Magneto asked. 

Widening her vivid blue eyes innocently Emma gazed up at Magneto. "Why a future. I believe in you." She said breathily. 

"You do that very well my dear." Magneto said. "You must have had considerable practice at the art of beguiling. I prefer a straight answer." 

"I can already see you're going to be a joy to work with." Emma said, a tinge of sarcasm coloring her voice. "To be straight forward; I've studied you. I don't know if co-existence is possible or not but I like power. I'd rather rule than co-exist. As you can see we may not be allies, but we could be bedfellows. Make no mistake about it: I am neither Mystique nor Sabretooth. I'm no one's lackey. However I can be a very good ally, even a partner if you'll trust me." 

"If you can deliver what you promise I might grow to accept this alliance." Magneto allowed. 

****** ****** ****** 

Rogue walked into the Institute kitchen and frowned. Amara sat at the table, her nose buried in a book while she absently munched on carrot sticks. "Girl ain't it your turn to be chattering with Pyro?" 

"Oh yeah, I forgot." Amara said. "What's the big? It's not like he cares." 

Rogue scowled. "According to Ms. Mattie and Dr. McTaggart he does care. That's why we do it. Yah signed up, now get upstairs and talk to our unconscious firebug." 

"Well I hope he likes John Allendyce." Amara huffed. 

"Who's that?" Rogue asked. 

Amara held up her book. "He's just the hottest writer around. He's going to be the next Christopher Pike." 

"Well if he ain't into that junk Ah guess he can just wake up and tell yah so." Rogue said with a roll of her eyes. 

"Like that Anne Rice stuff you read is so much better." Amara shot back with a cheerful wave as she started upstairs. 

Despite the blazing fire burning in Pyro's guest room it wasn't uncomfortably warm, even for someone other than Amara. Mattie had told them the fire made Pyro feel welcome. Xavier believed its unnaturally low heat output was evidence that he was recovering. 

Amara dropped into the armchair the students had dragged in for visitors, propped her feet up on the side of the bed, opened up her book and started reading. 

After several minutes the fire began twisting into figures. Amara watched in amazement as they acted out the story she was reading. "Boy, I guess you really do hear us after all." She said. 

****** ****** ****** 

Kitty used the back of her fork to shove her pasta salad around on her plate. "I don't know why you make me do this." She said. "No matter how many times you kidnap me from my friends and make me spend the weekend here I'm still going to hate you forever." 

"Katherine, I've had it with this behavior." Carmen Pryde exclaimed. "Your mother and I haven't kidnapped you. We haven't done anything wrong." 

Kitty glared silently at her parents. 

"Kitty we were worried about you. We didn't want you to get hurt." Terri protested. 

"Attacking my boyfriend is a really strange way of not hurting me." Kitty accused. 

"So it's our fault _your boyfriend_ tried to _kill_ you." Carmen said. "All we did was tell the truth." 

"How many times do I have to tell you: Lance never tried to kill me!" Kitty yelled. 

"Right, he just dropped a building on you!" Carmen shouted back. 

"That was an accident!" Kitty exclaimed. "Lance didn't know the building was going to collapse." 

"Good Lord Katherine. You sound like an abuse case explaining how he didn't realize how hard he was hitting you." 

"So it was my fault every time I phased without meaning to before I got the knack of using my powers?" Kitty demanded. 

"Kitty, he did attack you." Terri said. "You can't deny that." 

"I bet you're both happy he's dead!" Kitty shouted as she threw her fork down. 

"If it means you're safe then yes!" Carmen stated. 

"I hate you so much." Kitty declared poisonously. "I wish I never had to see either of you ever again. I wish I'd run away with Lance when he asked me to!" 

"Kitty!" Terri called helplessly as her daughter stormed upstairs. 

****** ****** ****** 

"How do yah think Kitty's visit home is going?" Sam asked conversationally as he dropped on the love seat across from the Goth-girl. 

"If yah're here to sympathize get lost." Rogue snarled. 

"Whoa girl, Ah was just making conversation." Sam said as he held up his hands in surrender. "Ah wouldn't presume to sympathize with yah; Ah might empathize though. Ah failed too, not enough control over mah powers." 

"What-do-they-want-from-me!" Rogue exclaimed. "Ah'm up to fifteen seconds! Fifteen second, with mah reflexes Ah could go around in a bikini and no one'd get hurt by mah powers!" 

"It's not fair." Sam replied. 

"Damn right it's not." Rogue huffed. 

"You can say that again." Evan said as he wandered in. "One little sneeze and I'm black listed." 

"It could be worse." Jamie announced as he joined them. "At least we passed the psych exam." He gestured toward Bobby. 

"I am not immature." Bobby muttered. "I do too have good judgment." 

"Ah guess someone heard about your spring break Titanic imitation." Sam said. 

Outside a burst of multi-colored fireworks exploded. Bobby ran to throw open the window. 

"I'm back! Where's my welcome home party?" Jubilee hollered. 

Bobby jumped out the window. He iced up as he fell, simultaneously creating an ice-slide to catch him. "Hey Fire-cracker! How's life?" 

"Better now that I'm seeing a friendly face." Jubilee replied. "You've got no idea how lonely it is being the only freak around. Cali wasn't so bad until Avalanche went postal. I take it he's back to being a villain?" 

"Don't say that around Kitty unless you've got some teeth you'd like to loose." Bobby warned. "It wasn't Lance's fault. You want to check out the new digs?" 

"Sure, catch me up on all the gossip, 'kay?" 

****** ****** ****** 

"Theresa!" A tall man with reddish highlights in his sandy blond hair bellowed. He waited expectantly at the foot of the stairs. "Theresa, is there something keeping you girl?" He demanded after a few moments. 

"Geeze Dad, you don't have to shout. I'm coming." A teenage girl yelled back. 

"If I were shouting you'd know it." The man replied. "That was simply raising my voice to be heard over that infernal racket you listen to. Now get a move on it. I want the moving van on the other side of Atlanta before the morning rush hour." 

"You just can't wait to rip me away from all my friends can you?" 

"Which of the fair folk did you offend to deserve this, Sean?" The man muttered to himself. "You'll make new friends. I'm being offered twice my current salary. You'll be able to attend a good school. And we might as well move on voluntarily rather than waiting for them to send us packing." 

"A good school, right." Theresa snorted as she appeared at the head of the stairs with a bulging suitcase. "One that declares to the world that I'm a weirdo, that's so great." 

Sean's mouth thinned at the sight of his daughter's tattered, barely decent shorts and tight, cropped tee shirt. "Your mother would have been ashamed to see you in such a get up." He declared. 

Theresa tossed a main of coppery red-gold hair over her shoulder. "Mom's dead, how would you know what she would or wouldn't approve of. Unlike you, I'm sure Mom would have kept up with the times. This is what everyone's wearing." 

Sean took a deep calming breath. "Everyone but you. Go change." 

"I thought you were in a hurry." Theresa argued. "I'd have to unpack my suitcase, decide what to wear again… You know how long that can take… Uncle Tommy's always telling me how wild Mom was when she was my age. Would you have tried to stifle her too?" 

"Fine, wear it. You'll be in the truck all day. It's not as if anyone is going to see you flaunting yourself." Sean grudgingly surrendered. 

"No one except the gas station students. Maybe I can find a cute one." Theresa shot back. 

Muttering under his breath Sean took her suitcase and hauled it out to the moving van. Theresa grabbed a Walkman and a CD case then plopped into the passenger seat and settled the headphones in place. 

"I can see this is going to be a delightful trip." Sean sighed as he started the truck and pulled away from their old life. 

****** ****** ****** 

Todd paused in the middle of a basketball game with Bobby, Ray, Evan, Rahne and Sam. He easily recognized the car that had just passed through the Institute gates, having repainted it several dozen times during the previous school year. 

"Hey guys, go ahead without me." Todd said. "I'll be back in a while." He leapt up, did a flip and landed neatly on the top of the backboard. Another leap put him on the roof. He hopped along the edge of the gutter for a few moments then sprung out onto a tree branch. He climbed around the trunk and out onto a limb that extended over the drive. When Kelly's car passed beneath him Todd dropped onto the roof. 

Kelly parked in front of the mansion. He got out of his car and glanced at Todd then sighed and shook his head. 

"Yo Kelly, what ya doing here?" Todd asked. His tone was cheerfully disrespectful, openly curious and generally friendly. 

"My duty." Kelly replied. He looked at Todd as if the teen were a particularly loathsome bug. "I hear you managed to convince the government that you're capable of emulating a civilized human-being. I hope that you'll start proving that to me by leaving my car in the same condition as when it drove through those gates." 

Todd stuck out his tongue at Kelly's retreating back. 

Hank met the Principal at the door. Kelly cringed away from the blue furred mutant's outstretched hand. Hank sighed and dropped his hand. "Please follow me. The Professor, Ororo and Moira are waiting." 

"Then let's get this over with." Kelly said. Once they arrived at Xavier's office Kelly dumped several files on the desk. "Mr. McCoy's lesson plans are satisfactory. Dr. MacTaggart, I understand you'll be helping him teach some of the science classes, correct?" 

"I'll be taking biology," Moira confirmed, "and health naturally." 

"Alright, the two of you should be sufficient. Ms. Monroe, I've redrafted your English and Literature plans. You're obviously not certified to teach. I assume you are capable of grading papers and leading a group discussion. I'll handle the actual teaching." 

"You?" Xavier asked with surprise. 

"I won't ask my teachers to do something I'm unwilling to do myself." Kelly said. "I think you'd do well to include more examples of abuses of power in your history plans, considering…" 

"I'll handle the lesson plans for history, thank you." Xavier replied coolly. "Is there anything else?" 

"From what I've seen of your students, I assume the Physical Education requirement is covered." Kelly continued. "I've arranged for Mr. Redland to teach the necessary math classes and for a few other teachers to cover the odds and ends such as personal finance and language." 

Outside Evan walked up behind Todd as he crouched beside Kelly's tire. "Need some help?" He asked. 

"Naw." Todd said. "I'm only letting the air out of one tire. Kelly's a jerk, but he did stand up for Lance at the trial." 

****** ****** ****** 

Xavier moved through the astral plane with caution and discretion as he circled around the Shadow King's Lair. 

He'd learned his lesson. He didn't venture into the web, only skirted it. He followed the individual strands out to where they were isolated and vulnerable. Then he severed the strands. He used his powers to burn them back as far as possible in an attempt to make it as difficult as possible for the Shadow King to re-establish his connection. 

The whole time Xavier could feel the Shadow King's malevolent gaze following him but like a trap-door spider the creature chose not to venture out from his lair. 

Xavier worked steadily. Every day for the past few months he'd come here and spent hours pruning back the Shadow King's domain. He knew eventually he'd have to confront the entity directly but for now he was satisfied with eroding it's power base. 

****** ****** ****** 

Hank and Ororo stood in the Danger Room facing the X-Men and New Mutants. They looked uncomfortable. "I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way but we've decided to reorganize the teams to be in accordance with the scenarios you're likely find yourselves in." Hank began. 

Rogue crossed her arms and turned her back on them with a scowl on her face. 

"Just be honest about it." Evan snapped. "You're demoting everyone who failed SHIELD's test." 

"You shouldn't think of it as a demotion." Hank said. "The students who will be taking classes here will have a much greater degree of flexibility in their schedule for that reason you'll be the first called when trouble rears it's head. Furthermore I'll be asking some of you to take charge of the new students' training sessions. The primary responsibility of the group attending Bayville High will be dealing with public relations." 

Ororo stepped forward. "Kitty, Kurt, Amara, Rahne, Pietro and Todd. You will be working together for the first session. I want you to complete the obstacle course without using your powers. Kurt and Kitty you will be acting as co-leaders for the time being." 

"Welcome to my life," Jamie said as he, Rogue, Evan, Sam, Bobby and Ray filed out of the room behind Hank. 

Hank sighed. "I am gong to schedule an hour of independent work on understanding your powers. As we've seen with Rogue sometimes all it takes is a new insight." 

Rogue snorted. "It wasn't enough to impress those busybodies at SHIELD." 

"Which in no way diminishes your accomplishments." Hank replied. "I will be looking to you to lead this team in group exercises. Apocalypse is not going to just go away you know." 

"Ray, how'd you end up with us?" Evan asked quietly. "You've got control of your powers and you don't do dumb stuff like Bobby's joyriding and everything else." 

Ray shrugged. "I didn't want to talk to a shrink. It's hard to pass a test you don't take." 

Inside the Danger Room the newly formed team faced their first test. 

Shadowcat glanced over the group thoughtfully. "I think Cyke would have Toad and Nightcrawler lead the way. Powers or not you guys have the best reflexes; if anything jumps out at us you've got the best chance of dealing with it. Rahne do you ever do any gymnastics in human form?" 

Wolfsbane shook her head. "It's so natural just to change." She said. "I like my wolf-form. It feels right." 

"Stick close to me." Quicksilver said. "I'll keep you out of trouble." 

"I guess we watch each other's backs." Magma said. Shadowcat smiled at her. 

"Vell, I guess that's everything." Nightcrawler said. He signaled Storm to start the session. 

"Don't get too far ahead." Shadowcat reminded Nightcrawler and Toad as the room activated. 

The pair led the way into the course. They criss-crossed each other's paths as they searched for any hidden dangers. 

The others jogged after them. Quicksilver hung back and urged the three girls along impatiently. 

The floor dropped out from beneath Nightcrawler. Toad grabbed his tail and yanked him back to solid ground. Nightcrawler nodded a quick thanks to him and they kept moving. 

Several bolos shot out of the wall at them. Quicksilver yelled a warning as he jumped back and hauled Wolfsbane out of harm's way along with him. Shadowcat dropped and swept Magma's legs out from beneath her to get her below the line of fire. 

Nightcrawler and Toad offered them a hand to their feet a moment later. 

Ten feet further on several paintball drones zeroed in on them. "They'll take the closest target first." Shadowcat yelled. 

Nightcrawler pointed Toad toward one of the drones. They made use of their pre-natural agility to draw the drones away from the others. 

Quicksilver noticed a third drone coming up behind Toad. He snatched a ponytail holder from Rahne's hair and threw it at the drone; the invisible flick of his wrist accelerated the little bit of plastic to bullet-like velocities. The drone sparked and crashed as Quicksilver's projectile tore through its innards. 

Kitty glanced from Rahne's disarrayed hair to the destroyed drone. "You cheated." She hissed. 

"Only if I get caught." Pietro replied. "Admit it, the point's being discreet, not stupid." 

"Later." Kitty sighed. 

While they'd talked Toad and Nightcrawler lured the drones into shooting each other and caught up. "What's the hold up?" Toad asked. 

"Nothing." Kitty said. "Everyone keep moving." 


	3. Old Friends, New Faces

**Old Friends, New Faces** Disclaimer: Characters and setting are the property of Marvel, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun. 

Thanks for the feedback: damien455, DemonRogue13, Risty, raniatlw, Obsidian, GiniaTM, Dusty, ray1, IWorshipInuSesshyMalfoyLebeau, silver-seraph-life-of-la, Goofn1 

"Valerie, to what do I owe this honor?" Emma Frost asked. As she stood the sun shown through the sheer white blouse she wore, silhouetting her slender, graceful form. 

Val frowned with a trace of disapproval at the other woman's display. "I hate to offer you a difficult case as your first student. Her parents contacted us as soon as they heard we were arranging schooling for mutants. Professor Xavier already has a number of students and more on the way…" 

"Oh don't apologize." Emma said. "I enjoy a good challenge. Please introduce me to the little dear." 

"We'll be collecting her today. Would you like to come along?" Val asked. "I have a helicopter waiting at the airport." 

"I'd be delighted." Emma said with a gesture to the door. 

Forty minutes later they were standing outside a tidy brownstone building. Emma noted the heavy bars on several of the upstairs windows. Val rang the bell. Three of Fury's soldiers backed them up. 

A tall elegantly coifed woman answered the door. "Oh thank God you're here. We just don't know what to do with Maria anymore. Every year she gets stronger, wilder and more vicious. We've had to keep her locked up since she was thirteen." 

"Lets not waste time." Emma said coolly. "I'll go up and talk with young Maria." 

Mrs. Callasantos took a key out of the draw in the table at the base of the stairs then led the way upstairs. When she put the key in a door on the third floor Emma placed a hand over hers. "I'll take it from here." She said. She turned and gave the three soldiers a disdainful look. "That means you too." 

Val gave Emma an evaluating glance then nodded to the soldiers. "We'll wait downstairs. Don't hesitate to yell if you run into trouble." 

"Certainly… _if_ I have a problem, darling." 

Emma opened the door and stepped inside. Once upon a time the suite of rooms had been a pleasant, delicately feminine apartment. Now there were deep claw marks in the walls and table while the curtains and cushions were shredded. A bare mattress lay in one corner, several pieces of furniture had been drug near it and the box spring was balanced on top of them to make that corner into a lair. One window was broken out between the bars. A slim girl covered in short, tawny fur sat in front of the window. She was completely still, except for the occasional twitch of her three-foot long tail. One ear flicked back in acknowledgement of Emma's entrance but that was it. A sparrow landed on the windowsill and started picking at the ripped up pieces of bread scattered there. Maria's clawed hand shot out and snatched the little bird. The sparrow twittered in panic as the girl squeezed it lightly. Maria turned to face Emma, the bird still in her hand. "My dear, celebrating your differences is to be admired." Emma said. "Blindly obeying your every impulse is something else altogether." "I ate my last tutor." Maria announced sounding pleased with herself. "My parents dumped the body in the park. The police are still looking for an escaped tiger from the zoo." "Try me." Emma offered. 

Maria leapt at Emma. A moment before her claws connected a glittering, diamond-hard shell formed around Emma. Maria's claws scraped harmlessly across the shell with a sound like nails on a chalkboard. Maria yowled at the sound. 

"Next time maybe you'll think instead of simply reacting." Emma said tartly. She calmly walked into the room, took a seat in one of the battered chairs and neatly crossed her legs. 

"You're like me." Maria said as she stared at Emma. 

"Yes, I am. Now can we talk like civilized beings?" Emma asked. 

Maria's tail lashed angrily. "What do you want?" 

"I'm offering you a chance to meet with other people like yourself; a chance to get out of this room; a chance to put your natural assets to good use. I'm certain we could find you more interesting prey than sparrows." 

Maria flicked a bright pink tongue over her needle-sharp fangs. "Call me Feral." She said. 

****** ****** ****** 

"Taxi's stopping." Ray announced as he turned away from the window. 

"Oh joy, more newbies." Bobby said boredly. Delicately he nudged one block out of the Jenga tower sitting in the center of the coffee table. With a flourish he placed the piece on the top of the tower. "Rahne?" 

The wolf-girl sat up from where she'd been reclining against Todd's shoulder. She studied the tower. "What does this one look like?" She asked as she considered her options. 

"A guy, blond. Looks pretty well-to-do." Ray summarized. "Ouch, poor gate. He's not happy to be here." 

Todd rolled into a crouch behind Rahne and wrapped his arms around her waist. 

"Todd!" Rahne protested for form's sake. "You'll make me mess-up." 

Todd glanced over at Ray. "He already sounds like fun." He commented. "Yo, any bets on who'll get stuck with this one?" 

"A milkshake says he's ends up in Kitty's wing." Ray said. "She's good with the 'I just want to be normal' set." 

"How about Rogue?" Bobby said. "She wouldn't put up with nonsense." 

"Kurt, shock value." Jubilee volunteered. 

"Oh damn, the Prof'll probably give to me." Todd exclaimed. "The fuzzball's too sensitive." 

"He might be nice." Rahne said. "But if he says anything nasty to you I'll bite him." 

Down below the subject of their conversation jumped back as the intercom squealed in protest at his rough treatment. 

"Um… Doug Ramsey to see Professor Xavier." He said as he recovered himself. 

//Just follow the road. Someone will meet you at the front door.// A voice in his head said. 

Doug jumped again. "I can already see how well I'm going to fit in." He muttered. He studied the boy who met him at the door curiously. He wondered if the strangely cut and colored hair was a mutation. 

"Hey I'm Spyke or Evan." The other teen said as he offered Doug his hand. "Nice to meet you. Welcome to the Institute. Hope you like it here… Am I forgetting anything? Oh, where are you from? What do you like to do? What are your powers?" Several long, sharp looking bone spikes erupted from the other boy's forearm. "That's what I do and I'm the best skate boarder you've ever met. You're turn." Evan delivered the whole speech as if by route. 

The first day of the deluge the X-Men had been eager and excited to meet their new classmates but after a week long parade of kids who were alternately homesick, angry, scared or in denial, an air of cynical ennui had descended over the senior classes. 

Doug blinked at Evan a few times while he processed the barrage of questions. "Doug Ramsey from Upstate New York. I'm into computers. And it's none of your damn business what I do. It's a mistake that I'm here and with any luck I'll be back home before I have to unpack my bags." 

"Good luck with that." Evan said patronizingly. 

"Look, could I talk to Xavier?" Doug said. 

Evan gestured for Doug to follow him upstairs. He left the blonde outside Xavier's office. 

"Douglas, I'm pleased to meet you." Xavier said. 

"They made a mistake." Doug announced. "I'm not a mutant. I don't have any powers. They sent me here because I wouldn't show them my powers… The ones I don't have! You gotta make them understand I'm just a normal kid, I don't deserve this." 

"None of us do." Xavier replied. "Who deserves to be ostracized? To have their lives arbitrarily uprooted? We live in very uncertain times. I saw your test results; you are a mutant. It's likely that your power is a subtle one. Here we can help you to discover what it is and to use it." 

"Maybe I'd be happier ignorant and free to live my own life." Doug said. 

Xavier sighed. "Maybe you would have been but you aren't ignorant anymore. You can't just forget what you know to be true about yourself." 

"What I know is that someone made a mistake and I'm going to prove it." 

"Douglas, you'll be happier if you try to fit in." Xavier said. 

"How do I do that? I'm not a freak." Doug exclaimed. 

"You're room is in the south wing of the new building." Xavier said. "Pietro Maximoff will be your RA. He'll be orienting you. Normally he'd also be doing preliminary work in helping you to manage your powers but considering your rather unique situation I'll be asking Hank McCoy to work with you." 

"Good, maybe he'll realize I'm normal." Doug said. 

"You are normal, you're also a mutant." 

****** ****** ****** 

The lights of Rio de Janeiro spread out before the window. At night it was hard to tell where the city ended and the ocean began because of the boats in harbor and the lights reflecting up off the water. 

Roberto DaCosta stood in front of the floor to ceiling windows that made up the outer wall of his father's office. Behind him his father discussed his future with a sexy blonde. 

Mr. DaCosta smiled warmly at his visitor. "I know my son will be in good hands with you Emma." 

"Our mutual associates appreciate your confidence." Emma replied as she offered him her hand. Mr. DaCosta raised it to his lips. Roberto watched their reflections in the glass with a dark scowl. 

Once Emma had left Roberto turned to confront his father. "If you're going to send me away again why can't I go back to Xavier's? I have friends there." He complained. 

Emma is one of the savviest businesspeople I've ever met. You could do much worse that to emulate her." 

"Mama thinks highly of Professor Xavier." Roberto said. "I doubt she'd like Ms. Frost's style." 

"It's not your mother who will inherit this business." Mr. DaCosta said. "I love your mother dearly but she's the very definition of ivory tower. I expect you to deal in the real world. Emma has access to the kinds of connections you are going to need if you intend to succeed." 

Roberto sighed then nodded his consent. 

****** ****** ****** 

As the breaking thrusters on the X-Jet fired Sam opened the top hatch and blasted out. His maneuver got him to the Cumberland meadow about three second faster than the jet would have done and added a new pit to the countryside. 

"Hey mama!" Sam yelled. 

"Yah look so much like your Daddy." Lucinda Guthrie called back. She smiled at him even as she blinked back sudden tears. "Yah been eatin' your greens?" 

"Yes ma'am, yah can even ask Mr. McCoy." Sam replied blushing faintly. "How's the farm doing?" 

Lucinda shrugged. "No worse than normal. Yah know how it is." 

Sam frowned. "Should Ah come home?" 

"Oh Sammy, no." Lucinda sighed. "Yah can't make the rain fall or the ground better. 'Sides what would yah do about schooling? Ah'm not raising an ignorant child. Josh and Ah are managing just fine. Truth is Ah asked your Professor about taking Paige and Ah'm counting on you to look out for her." 

"Paige? She's just a little thing." Sam exclaimed. 

Lucinda shook her head. "Ah know Sam. Ah need to talk with one of your teachers." 

"Mr. McCoy came down with me like yah asked. The Professor would've come but things are a little crazy at school right now." Sam said. He gestured back toward the jet where Hank and Kitty were disembarking. 

"M' lady Guthrie," Hank said as he made a courtly bow. 

Lucinda laughed as she put a hand to her heart. "My lands, someone didn't miss a day at charm school." 

"One must compensate for fur in the drains somehow." Hank replied. 

"Ah have a number of young ladies, with long hair that ends up in all sorts of unfortunate places, whom Ah'd be obliged if yah'd mention that detail to." Lucinda said. "Sam, Miss. Could yah go on ahead?" 

" 'Course Mama." Sam said. "Come on Kitty, Ah'm sure mah sisters want to hear all about what's in style in New York. Maybe yah'll have better luck satisfying them than Ah have." 

When the teen were out of earshot Lucinda turned to Hank. "Ah'm in a corner. This is a small town; everyone knows everyone else's business. The Alvers boy destroying Bayville made the national news. We may be off the beaten track but we aren't ignorant of the world. Our neighbors all know what happened in Bayville was caused by a mutant. They know mutation is genetic. They know mah Sam has powers. They drew their own connections and made life hell for mah other kids. Ah had them all tested. Paige and Elizabeth are both dormant. Liza's only six; Ah can manage home schooling for her. Paige, she's twelve and a real, real sharp girl." 

Hank listened patiently. 

"Ah don't want to hold her back. Mr. McCoy, Ah'm a widow with over half a dozen children, a farm to run and no college education. Ah have neither the time, money, nor the ability to do right by Paige. But mah little girl doesn't have any special powers, not like Sam's; she may never develop them. By pulling her and Liza Ah made thing tolerable for the others. Paige is a grade ahead in English, two ahead in math and the sciences. She works incredibly hard, she deserves every chance. Ah need to know two things: Would your school be willing to take her and if yah are, can yah keep her safe?" 

"I understand your concerns." Hank said. "We would be honored to see to Paige's education and I promise that we would do everything in our power to keep her safe. However I would be remiss if I didn't remind you that the Institute has become something of a target." 

Lucinda glanced off to one side. 

"I know you discussed this with Charles when we were first revealed to the public." Hank said gently. "You knew that Sam would be targeted regardless of where he was. You and Sam decided that it was best if he faced those threats head on and with his friends. Paige's circumstances are somewhat different. I wish I could give you the perfect solution but I'm afraid all I have to offer is an option." 

"Ah'd like for yah to talk to Paige. Ah knew she's gonna want to go. After yah've met her, tell me if yah think yah can keep her out of too much trouble." 

"What sort of trouble?" McCoy asked. 

"The sort a smart, idealistic, stubborn young person finds very appealing." 

****** ****** ****** 

Pietro's eyes sparkled with mischief as he spotted Jean sitting by herself in the front row of the lecture hall. In a blink of an eye he'd plaited her hair into dozens of tiny braids, finishing each one off with a knot, then taken the seat beside her. 

"Do you always have to be a pest? You're worse than my sister ever was." Jean complained without much heat. 

Pietro pretended to think about it for a moment. "Well no, but you never notice the eight-tenths of a second where I valiantly resist the temptation." 

Jean had already started using her powers to unravel her hair. She extended it to hold Pietro still long enough for her to swat him. 

"Hey watch the hair!" Pietro exclaimed with an evil grin. 

"I take it you're staying for the lecture." Jean said with an attempt at a long-suffering sigh. 

"I already set up a tape recorder in my other nine 'o clock class." Pietro replied. "The biology teacher never blows stuff up, it's not worth my time to actually attend his lectures." 

"Where as Dr. Watson always finishes the week with a bang." Jean remarked. "How are things at the mansion?" 

"The newbies are a bunch of whiners." Pietro said. "Professor X is making me share a room with the biggest pain of all. 'I'm not a mutant! I'm normal! It's all a big mistake!' Like I'm not a hundred times cooler than he is. So how's your roommate situation going?" 

"Five down, a few hundred more students who don't want to live with a mutant yet to meet." Jean sighed. 

"If you were me you could commute." Pietro said. He made it clear that this was clear evidence of his superiority. 

Jean rolled her eyes and thought about hitting him again. Then, with a grin, she projected an image of Pietro being forced to sit perfectly still and silent for the whole lecture. 

//This is the song that never ends…// Pietro started humming in his head. 

"Brat." Jean laughed quickly erecting stronger mental shields. 

****** ****** ****** 

Kitty blinked at the blonde whirlwinds engulfing Sam. One boy, only a year or two younger than his brother hung back slightly but the girls and younger boys welcomed their big brother home with open arms and an enthusiasm that nearly as perilous as a danger room session. 

"Sweet Potato, you're gonna hug the life right outta me." Sam declared as he twisted an arm around behind his back to get a hold of the little goldilocks who'd jumped on his back to wrap her arms around his neck in a determined hug. An older girl disentangled her sister while planting a kiss on Sam's cheek. 

A pair of twins glomped on to Sam's legs while several other small children attempted to climb him. Sam went down in a heap under their combined attack. The goldilocks squirmed to get loose and her sister released her to join the free-for-all. 

"It'll be a bit before they're through with him." The girl said as she turned to Kitty. "Ah'm, I'm Paige, please to meet yah." 

"Likewise, I'm Kitty Pryde." 

"Josh." The older boy volunteered. Kitty nodded to him. 

"Kitty, Kitty, I know I remember you from Sam's letters." Paige pondered. "Oh, oh mah. We have got to talk." 

Kitty didn't have a chance to react before she was being hauled into a bedroom. One wall had a set of bunk beds against it there was a third bed beneath the window. One closet door was papered with 'My Little Pony' posters. Its neighbor featured N'sync and the wall over the neat, study desk had an old Suffragettes poster and a calligraphy copy of Martin Luther King's 'I have a dream' speech. 

"Okay, I already asked Sam, but the more details the better." Paige said in a rush. "I've written to Amnesty International and they agree what happened was totally amoral. I know he's dead but… Oh geeze. How tactless can I get? Oh man, Ah'm so sorry. Ah'm digging up painful memories, but what happened was wrong. We have to stop it from happening again. The government made Lance take poison, well practically." 

"You were trying to help Lance?" Kitty asked as she sank into a chair. "Wow, you don't even know him." 

"Wrong is wrong. It doesn't matter if I knew him or not. 'All it takes for evil to win is for good people to do nothing'." Paige quoted. 

****** ****** ****** 

"Are you sure you're related to Scott Summers?" Jubilee asked. 

"Is that your question?" Alex asked with a smirk. "I think it is. Yes, the truth is I really am Scott's younger brother." 

"You are such a cheat." Jubilee laughed. "That wasn't a real question." 

"Gotta watch how you phrase things." Alex replied with a grin as he reached out and spun the bottle in the center of the ring of teenagers. He'd arrived at the Institute earlier that afternoon and quickly decided that the only real way to get to know his new housemates was the spin-the-bottle version of 'Truth or Dare'. Bobby, Jubilee, Todd, Rahne and a few of the new comers had taken him up on it. Jamie had wanted to play but Bobby nixed it claiming that they wouldn't be able to get into any good stuff with a kid around. Todd seconded the motion for a more honest reason: They were all terrified of what Jamie might dream up. 

The coke bottle came to rest pointed at Todd. "What's it going to be?" Alex asked. 

"Dare." Todd answered confidently "There's nothing any of you can think of that I wouldn't do." 

Alex pondered the challenge for a moment. "I seem to remember an irate looking hottie in a red trench studying downstairs." Todd gulped. "I dare you to walk up to her and lay one on her." 

Todd stood up slowly. "A dare's a dare." He sighed. Melodramatically he swept Rahne into a hug. "If I don't make it back, always remember I love you." He announced. 

"Quit your stalling." Bobby ordered. 

"He can stall all he wants." Rahne declared as she snuggled up to Todd. 

"March." Jubilee laughed. 

Todd reluctantly let Rahne go and headed downstairs. The other players filed out after him and arranged themselves along the banister. 

Todd hopped to Wanda's side. "Please don't kill me!" He exclaimed. He leaned in and planted a quick kiss on her cheek then leapt over the table. "I had to do it Wanda! Don't kill me." 

Wanda stood up. She flexed her fingers as if to warm up. Todd cringed. Internally Wanda grinned, this was definitely how Remy would have handled things. After a moment she asked. "Why?" 

"We're-playing-'Truth-or-Dare'-they-made-me!" Todd explained at a rate that could challenge Pietro's speed talking. 

Wanda frowned consideringly as she saunter over to Todd. 

"Donna ye dare hurt him!" Rahne exclaimed from the top of the stairs. 

"Yeah it was just a game Dudette," Alex added with a faint tinge of guilt in his voice. 

Wanda thought about hexing the blond surfer just for old times sake even if Papa would ground her for it. "If it's just a game, I guess I'll have to play then." She announced. 

The other students stared at her in shock. Todd sighed in relief. "We're all glad to have you." He said as he led the way back upstairs to pick up where they'd left off. 


	4. Movie Night

**Movie Night** Disclaimer: Characters and setting are the property of Marvel, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun. 

Thanks for the feedback: Risty, crazyspaceystracey, DemonRogue13, raniatlw, Dusty, small, Dru, damien455, IceBlueRose 

"Xi'an I'm hungry." The seven-year-old boy complained. His twin sister nodded. 

"I know." Xi'an said. "I'll find something tomorrow. Tonight we have to stay on the train." 

"Where are we going?" The little girl asked. 

"Somewhere safe. I'm not going to let anyone split us up. I'll always be here to take care of you." Xi'an promised. "Now you have to go to sleep so you'll have energy tomorrow okay?" 

" 'Kay." The twins chimed as they lay back on the blanket Xi'an had spread across the floor of the boxcar. Xi'an pulled another blanket out of the camper's pack leaned up against the wall beside her and spread it over them. Then she went to sit in the door of the train car. She watched the Great Plains fly away as the train sped last through the night. 

****** ****** ****** 

If you could just read this petition." The determined blonde standing in the door insisted. 

Rogue rolled onto her side and turned up her radio. 

"Why won't you listen to me?" 

"Sam! Come get your sister!" Rogue yelled. 

A few moments later the lanky, sandy-haired boy wrapped an arm around Paige's shoulders and steered her away. "Come on kiddo, why don't yah try Ororo or Moira… Maybe some of the new kids." 

Rogue went back to studying as Sam led Paige away. Several minutes later Wanda walked in, dropped several textbooks on Kitty's bed and made herself at home. 

Rogue gave her a less then friendly look but didn't say anything in protest. 

They studied together in silence for a while. 

"Which band is this?" Wanda asked tentatively as she gestured to the radio. 

Rogue tossed her a CD case. 

Wanda glanced at the cover. "I like them." She said. Several minutes later she asked. "Has Pey heard from Remy lately?" 

"Why don't yah ask him yourself." Rogue replied without interest. 

Wanda frowned. "He'll just tell me to write to Remy." 

"That's your problem. Why'd yah think Ah'd care?" Rogue said. 

"Would it hurt you to tell me?" Wanda demanded angrily. 

Rogue ignored her. 

"Tell me!" Wanda snapped. "I haven't heard anything in months. I want to know." 

Rogue sighed at the faint catch in Wanda's voice. "He's traveling around thievin' stuff." She said. "He's fine." 

"Did he say anything about me?" Wanda asked. 

"Yah got it bad don't yah?" Rogue said. "Look Wanda, do yah think your brother would be telling yah to get in contact with Gambit if the guy didn't still like yah? Pietro doesn't blame yah for trying to kill him yah know. He cares about yah anyway, he wouldn't tell yah to do something that'll get yah hurt. Got it?" 

Wanda nodded as she glanced away. "You don't like me do you?" She asked. 

"Ah like Quickie, a lot." Rogue replied. "You're his sister but Ah don't trust yah." 

"I made a mistake, I know that now." Wanda complained. "Why can't yah give it a rest? Pietro forgave me." 

"That's why Ah won't." Rogue said. "It's the people yah trust who can hurt yah worst. If Pietro won't guard against yah Ah have to do it for him." 

****** ****** ****** 

Xi'an smiled at her twin siblings. "So, what do you want to eat?" She asked. 

The twins glanced around. "Can we have hotdogs?" They pled. They grabbed her hands and tugged her toward a hotdog vendor. 

"I suppose it was too much to hope you would ask for spinach." Xi'an laughed. 

"Blech!" Nga cried. Leong nodded. 

Xi'an smiled at the vendor. His eyes went glassy. 

"Don't forget relish!" Leong ordered as she looked up at her big sister. Xi'an nodded and the man robotically added relish to one of the hotdogs then handed them to the trio. They walked away without paying, the man made no protest. 

Five minutes later Xi'an found herself confronted by a tall, pale woman in a scandalously cut business suit. "Very subtle." Emma said. "But how long do you think it will be before they figure you out? Especially now, when they see evil mutants behind every unexplained event?" 

"Who are you? What do you want?" Xi'an demanded as she pushed the twins behind her. 

//One like yourself and I merely wish to offer you sanctuary in these troubled times.// 

"You… your voice in my head." Xi'an stammered. 

"Why look so surprised?" Emma replied. "You controlled that man's actions. I would wager that our powers are not so different. Will you come with me?" 

"I won't leave the twins." Xi'an declared. "I passed their tests but they said I was not a fit guardian. I won't let them be taken from me." 

Emma glanced at the seven-year-olds disdainfully. "I'll hire a babysitter to watch them while you train your abilities. Who knows, they may prove useful in another six years or so." 

Xi'an took an uncertain breath. "I'll come. If they are safe and happy I am yours to command." 

Emma's smile was predatory. "I think you and I will get along very well, my dear." 

****** ****** ****** 

Outside of the movie theatre Kitty, Kurt, Amanda, Pietro, Rogue, Wanda, Alex and Jamie waited for the last two Institute students to emerge. Rahne and Todd had spotted some of Rahne's friends from middle school and decided to watch the movie with them. Kurt had been a little nervous about allowing the pair to split off from the group, even when they were only sitting in a few rows away in a crowded auditorium, there was no way he'd leave them to walk home alone. 

Todd and Rahne finally exited the theatre with Mindy and Vest. The two boys were gesturing expansively while the girls were giggling with their heads together. 

Wanda cleared her loudly to draw their attention to the group from the Institute. As soon as Todd and Rahne started over Wanda strode off toward the Institute at a rapid clip. 

"Vait up!" Kurt called leaving Amanda's side to jog after her. "The Professor only let us go tonight because we promised to stick together." He protested. 

"Yeah…" Alex began. 

"Call me 'dudette' one more time and I'll make your tongue rip itself out." Wanda snarled. 

Alex dropped back to walk beside Rogue and Pietro. "Man, your sister is harsh." He said. 

"Why did we bring him?" Pietro asked Rogue. 

"So-Wanda-wouldn't-feel-like-a-fifth-wheel." Rogue replied speaking so quickly that only Pietro could understand her. "He's-Scott's-brother-Ah-thought-he'd-be-okay." 

Todd hopped up beside Rogue and used his tongue to snatch the scarf around her neck. "Hey!" Rogue protested. 

"I'll-get-it." Pietro offered as Todd tied the scarf around his head. 

"Oh leave it." Rogue sighed. "Ah don't want it back till it's been through the washing machine anyway." 

Pietro shrugged then darted off to thwack Todd on the back of the head anyway. 

"I didn't deserve that." Todd declared gleefully. He caught up to Wanda with a couple of leaps then quietly dipped his hand into her purse and grabbed a stick of black lipstick. Wanda turned and saw him coloring circles around his eyes. 

"Toad give that back!" She snapped. Todd leapt back to avoid a hex bolt. He finished off his eyes moments before a second bolt sent him flying into a nearby bush. Wanda picked up her lipstick as it rolled across the sidewalk. 

"I might have deserved that." Todd continued still delighted about how his game was progressing. 

Kurt and Amanda tugged him out of the bushes. 

As soon as he was free Todd leapt back to Rahne and made an impressive bow. "Captain Jack Sparrow at your service mi-lady." He announced then swept her off her feet for a kiss. Rahne returned it enthusiastically. "I'm not sure if I deserved that or not, but I liked it." Todd laughed. Kitty rolled her eyes at them and shook her head. Jamie, her 'date' for the evening grinned mischievously. He leapt up and grabbed a slender branch from a tree as they walked beneath it. After Jamie stripped the leaves off he glanced around to make sure no one was watching then slammed one fist into the other. The resulting three Jamies charged Todd. "You are under arrest in the name of the crown!" They shouted. 

Todd set Rahne back on her feet then bounded over the Jamies in his search for a sword of his own. 

Kurt's nature wouldn't let him stay on the sidelines for long. He kissed Amanda's hand. "Miss. Swan." He said politely then bamfed up into a tree to pick a well-balanced 'sword' then dropped into Todd's path. "You sir, are trespassing." Kurt declared assuming a swordsman's stance. 

Rahne tossed Todd a stick of his own. "You think you're a match for Jack Sparrow, whelp?" Todd announced as he parried Kurt's slash. 

In a few seconds they were bounding back and forth, dodging between the other as they walked along. The Jamies added to the chaos, shouting and waving their 'swords'. 

Pietro urged Rogue to catch up with Wanda then slung an arm around his sister's shoulders and began happily chattering with both girls. After a few minutes Rogue and Wanda allowed him to draw them into a friendly three-way dialoge. 

Several of the Jamies cornered Todd. "All for one and one for all!" They yelled. 

Todd somersaulted over their heads. "There can be only one!" He replied as he attacked them from behind. 

Kitty paused and glanced around with the feeling that someone was watching them. After a moment she shrugged and caught up with the group again. 

As they got further from town Todd and Kurt took their duel up into the trees. "Luke, I am your father!" Todd declared in a raspy voice as he gained the advantage by knocking Kurt's stick out of his hand. 

Kurt used his tail to snag his 'sword' as it fell. "I am Inigo Montoya! You killed my father, prepare to die!" 

Down below the Jamies had turned their attention on Alex. The blond had picked up a hubcap from the side of the road and was using it as a shield. 

"We are the knights who say nay!" The Jamies laughed. Then circled around Alex shouting "Nay! Nay!" 

"No Monty Python." Kitty begged. 

"You lack the style to catch the Scarlet Pimpernel." Kurt challenged as he exchanged blows while hanging by his tail. 

"Well, um, I'm Cyrano De'Bres-something-or-other." Todd shot back. "And I'll defeat you while composing a verse… um, 'The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out, the worms play Ayieee!" Todd's voice rose in a high-pitched shriek as he lost his balance. 

Rahne changed forms and sprang into the air. Her teeth clamped down on the back of Todd's collar as she controlled their landing. Todd reached up and ruffled her ears gratefully. 

Kurt teleported to the ground. "Are you okay?" He asked with concern. 

"No harm done." Todd assured him. 

"And on that note I think we should call it a night." Kitty said. "Before someone really does get hurt." 

****** ****** ****** 

Pietro paused to glance around the kitchen the next morning. "What is this? A last meal for the condemned?" 

Ororo turned from the stove. "It is the first day students from the Institute will be allowed back at school. I thought a hot breakfast might help." She said as Kitty, Kurt, Todd, Rahne and Amara filed into the kitchen with their book bags slung over their shoulders. 

"That's what I meant." Pietro said. "Well I better run if I'm going to make my eight 'o clock lecture." 

"Pietro wait." Ororo requested. "Jean called last night, she wanted one of the sweaters she left here." 

"Sure, I always annoy her in chem. anyway." Pietro said with a shrug. 

"The rest of you hurry and eat, you don't want to be late." 

"Late no, absent yes." Kurt commented. 

"Yeah." Todd chimed in. "We don't have Lance, Scott or Fred anymore. I mean we can fight pretty good, even without powers, but none of us can intimidate the way they did." 

"You won't have to fight." Xavier said as he entered the kitchen. "Principal Kelly assures me that last year's problems won't be allowed to repeat themselves. Lt. Jensen and his unit will maintain a presence at the school to ensure that things remain peaceable." 

"Jensen is there to protect us?" Kitty asked angrily. "After what he did to Lance. Is this supposed to be a joke?" 

"Jensen is dedicated to doing his job." Xavier sighed. "He was no crueler than he had to be. He means well." 

****** ****** ****** 

"Dad! She used my door as a scratching post!" Theresa yelled. 

Sean sighed. 

"I can't stand her! Feral, she's, like, not even human." 

"Theresa, Feral is every bit as human as you are, no matter what she looks like." Sean replied with a frown at his daughter. 

"I should have known you wouldn't help me." Theresa snapped and stormed out. 

A few minutes later an eerie shriek rattled the windows in Sean's office. He signed and ran outside. 

Theresa hovered in the air above the sign naming the estate the Massachusetts Academy. Her coppery red-gold hair floated around her as she produced the unearthly shriek that had drawn Sean out of his office. 

Feral was on the lawn below. Her high-set, triangular ears were pressed flat against her skull as she hissed at Theresa. "Come down here you witch!" She spat. 

The tone of Theresa's shriek changed. Feral jumped back as the ground at her feet erupted in a spray of dirt. 

"Theresa Mary Cassidy enough!" Sean yelled. His voice rose in pitch and volume until the sound waves collided with and cancelled out those holding Theresa aloft. 

Sean caught his daughter as she tumbled from the air and set her on her feet. "You're my daughter and I expect better behavior than this young lady." He said firmly. 

"What are you going to do? Send me to my room?" Theresa demanded. 

"That sounds like a good idea to me." Sean snapped. 

Theresa turned and started for the road. "Where the hell do you think you're going?" Sean demanded. 

"My room, the one in Atlanta." Theresa shot back. "Because this circus certainly isn't a place I'll ever call home!" 

"Upstairs now." Sean ordered as he grabbed Theresa's arm and spun her around. 

Feral crouched in the grass, with a broad grin as she observed the discord she'd sparked. 

****** ****** ****** 

Kitty glanced around at her little group. "Okay, we're going to stick with the buddy system like Lance and Scott had us doing last year." She said. 

Kurt nodded. "Ve don't want to use our powers offensively. Everyone has a comm. unit right? If anything happens call me and I'll evacuate us. Kitty, Todd and I all know vhat to expect. Rahne, Amara, stick close." 

Rahne smiled and wrapped both arms around Todd. "Works for me." 

"Why do we have to go?" Todd whined. "Mr. McCoy actually makes school fun, all our friends are there, no one hates us. Why do we have to go to school?" 

"Todd." Kitty said warningly. "We're not letting them scare us. Come on guys lets get this over with." 

The quintet rounded the last corner expecting to be confronted by a mob with hate filled signs in front of the school. Instead they found a steady stream of students going about their own business under the watchful eyes of several armed guards. 

"Officer Nelson." Amara said with a nod to the lady cop. 

Nelsen returned the girl's greeting with a fleeting smile. 

Amanda was waiting for them just inside the door. Kurt broke away from the group to hurry to his girlfriend's side. "I'm so glad you're back at school." She said as Kurt's tail curled around her wrist and drew her closer to him. "I guess Kelly probably gave you guys the zero tolerance speech too?" She asked. 

"Ja," Kurt said. "Anyone instigating or participating in any sort of violence gets suspended. 

"Yeah, I guess Kelly wants the jerks to learn the fine art of being subtly nasty." Amanda said. 

"Nasty we can deal with." Kitty said grimly. 


	5. First Confrontation

**First Confrontation**

Disclaimer: Characters and setting are the property of Marvel, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

Thanks for the feedback: Risty, Raniatlw, DemonRogue13, Jaina12, crazyspaceystracey, IceBlueRose, Anti-XYo, Obsidian, Erikstrulove, Joey1, Goofn1, Julez, EmeraldKatsEye 

Sorry about the long delay, real life got messy. When things got streightened out I hated everything I wrote, so I put my evo stories on hiatus and worked on other things until I'd wrote something I was willing to post. Now that I'm back in practice I'm trying to get back into this series. I can't make any promises with regards to schedule at the moment, but I am working on Evo stories again.

* * *

Rogue grimaced as she watched Bobby, Jubilee, Alex, Paige and Doug in the Danger Room below. She hit the intercom. "Ramsey, what is your problem? Keep up with the group!" She snapped. 

"This is stupid, I don't have powers!" Doug yelled back. 

"Neither does Paige and it doesn't seem to be stopping her." Rogue pointed out coldly. 

Paige blushed at the implied compliment. Doug scowled but hurried after the others. Once she was sure Doug was keeping the pace despite the other obstacles Rogue sent the drones after them. 

Bobby and Jubilee turned at the first whir of the motors and started blasting. A moment later Alex got the idea and joined in. Paige and Doug scattered as they searched for cover. 

"Alright!" Jubilee cheered as her fireworks brought down a second drones. "Two for me!" 

"Four." Bobby cried as he shot an icicle from his fist. 

Alex formed his hands into guns and fired off blasts of concussive force. Two drones dropped to the floor. "Five." 

Bobby opened his hands and a sheet of ice swept the room, creating an instant glacier inside the Danger Room. Paige gasped as the ice closed around her arm. "Well that's that!" Bobby gloated. 

"Bobby get yourself under control!" Rogue shouted angrily. 

As she shut down the simulation Alex hit Bobby's ice-wall with a powerful blast of power. 

Rogue took off running. 

The ice shattered becoming an indoor avalanche. "Surf's cold today!" Alex laughed as he let the frozen flood sweep him away. 

Bobby grabbed Jubilee's arm and hauled her onto a newly formed ice-slide behind him. 

Moving in a blur of speed Rogue darted through the partially opened doors and into the Danger Room. She leapt from one unstable chunk of ice to another. She moved on before the ice had time to shift under her weight, constantly working her way upstream against the flow of ice. 

Rogue grabbed Doug's outstretched hand and threw herself backwards. She used her body weight and her momentum to yank him free of the ice and toss him to the relative stability of Bobby's ice-slide. A fraction of a second later she was back on her feet and racing toward Jubilee. She grabbed the younger girl's hand and brought it in contact with her own cheek. With Pietro's accelerated perceptions Rogue was able to judge the precise flow of power between them, when she let go Jubilee was dazed but still conscious enough to cling to Bobby. 

Rogue turned toward the spot where Paige had last been and blasted the ice with an intensely hot burst of fireworks. The ice melted away. In the strobe-like pauses between blasts Rogue caught sight of a blond head beneath the ice. She gritted her teeth and drove her hand through the last, glass-like layer of ice five times in quick succession to free the younger girl from the ice's hold. 

With Paige's limp form balanced precariously on her shoulder Rogue raced back for the hall. 

Alex had already made it out of the Danger Room on his own. Bobby joined them with both his charges a few moments later. Rogue glared at Bobby and Alex as blood dripped from her sliced up hand. "Try using your heads for something more than a hat rack." She snarled. "Doug, Jubilee, come with me. Yah two can stay right where yah are 'till Ah've time for yah." With that the Goth-girl turned and stalked toward the infirmary, Paige still over her should in a fireman's carry. Jubilee gave the two boys a sympathetic look before she turned to trail after Rogue. 

"I knew I didn't belong here." Doug muttered under his breath. 

"What happened?" Moira demanded as they entered the infirmary. 

"Rampant stupidity." Rogue snapped then forced herself to take a deep, calming breath. "A homemade Ice Age in the Danger Room. Ah think Paige's arm got flash-frozen. She and Doug got tossed around some. Jubilee should be fine; Ah just used a touch of mah powers on her. Ah guess Ah brought her along 'cause she ain't one of the pair Ah'm thinking 'bout pounding into next Sunday." 

Moira helped Rogue lower Paige onto her examine table. "Let me have a look." She said. 

Rogue, there's been an incident at one of the mutant testing centers. I'm summoning your team, we'll meet in the hanger.Xavier ordered. 

"Damn." Rogue swore. "Ah'm bring Jubilee 'stead of Bobby." She informed Xavier as she wrapped a bandage around her hand.

* * *

Fifty miles East of Westchester Jean lay on an un-made dorm cot, her homework spread out in front of her, her belongings neatly packed and stacked just inside the door. When the doorknob turned Jean set aside her studies and prepared herself as if for battle. 

A black teenager with waves of thick midnight hair bound in a ponytail walked in. She glanced around. "You must be my new roommate. I'm Misty Knight. Do you need a hand unpacking?" 

"I've learned to settle a few things first, it saves time in the long run." Jean replied wearily. "I'm Jean Grey, the mutant. If you raise a fuss housing will find someplace else for me to get kicked out of within 24 hrs." 

Misty thought about it for a few minutes. "It's the eighth week of the semester. Why haven't they just given you your own room if they're having this much trouble?" 

"But that wouldn't send their message so clearly." Jean answered bitterly. "I'm going to survive this. I can live out of a suitcase for the whole damn year if I have to. Then I'll be able to move off campus and get an apartment. I'm not going to let some little bigot push me around. So go make you're complaints, the head of housing will be understanding. She'll probably reward you. But tell her she's not getting rid of me." 

"How about I help you unpack instead." Misty offered. 

Jean's defenses crumpled. "You're really not going to kick me out?" She asked. 

"My former roommate let her boyfriend stay over. She had me sleeping on the couch in the lobby at least two nights a week. When I complained about it her ass of a boyfriend offered to let me in for a little three-way. From where I'm sitting, you're a big step up if just being a mutant is the only reason you're getting bounced all over the dorms." 

Jean laughed. "No worries, my boyfriend took off for parts unknown. I only see him in my thoughts." 

Jean opened the top box and Misty came over and started dumping clothes in the dresser. "Once we get all this junk moved in, I know a great place to eat. Well actually the food's crap but it's paid for. Welcome to dorm life."

* * *

Rogue met Xavier as he left the elevator. Sam and Wanda were with him. "What happened to Spyke and Berserker?" Rogue asked. 

"I'm not certain." Xavier replied. "They've left the school grounds." 

Rogue felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as they boarded the X-Jet. She hoped the situation wasn't too serious given that she had a team that had never worked together before. 

Once they were in the air she asked Xavier. "What happened?" 

"Jonathan Starsmore, a foreign exchange student attending classes at a high school in Rhode Island." Xavier explained. "From what I've been able to determine he lost control of his powers during the psychiatric review resulting in an explosion of some sort. Dr. Hunter escaped injury but both of the SHIELD agents working with her were hospitalized while attempting to contain him." 

"Lemme guess: a scared kid freaks out at the thought of being interrogated by the government so a couple of goons in armor shove guns in his face then blame him when everything goes to hell." Rogue assumed. 

"Not exactly." Xavier said. "I spoke with Dr. Hunter. Jonathan was apparently in the process of extending his student visa and applying for college. He took it into his head that he was being deported. That was what caused the initial loss of control. Dr. Hunter believes that he may have been injured, precipitating a complete panic. The SHIELD Agents believed that their armor would protect them and attempted to remove him to a secure facility… They were wrong."

* * *

Emma turned and looked over her shoulder at the cabin of the private jet. She examined the four teens sitting there, her elite, the prize for enduring dozens of lesser mutants over-running her home crying for their mommies. 

At nineteen Xi'an Coy Mahn was the eldest. Rearing her younger siblings had forced an early maturity on the Vietnamese girl as well. She sat apart from the others looking aloof and self-contained. Her midnight black hair was contained in a neat plait that she'd coiled on top of her head. Her uniform consisted of a high-necked tunic, lavender at the collar then gradually darkening to mauve as it fell past her hips, blending into the fitted black pants. The over-all effect was more conservative than Emma approved of, but her initial mental scan of this student indicated that encouraging her to emulate Emma's style had the potential to backfire dramatically. 

Roberto Dacosta was the next student to capture Emma's appraising attention. She was rather pleased at her success in stealing the sixteen-year-old from Xavier given the number of recruits Magneto had lost to his rival. The Brazilian boy was outfitted in a solid black bodysuit; panels of slick, silken black were inlayed over the flat black of the suit, giving it the appearance of shimmering black flames even in his powered-down state. He was flirting with Theresa and trying to keep his eyes on her face. 

The Irish-American Theresa Cassidy had chosen to wear green accented with a coppery-gold that matched her hair… or was it the green that was the accent? Emma had found Sean's voluble disapproval of his seventeen-year-old daughter's wardrobe amusing; she'd outfitted Theresa with that in mind. Excluding the cape, Theresa's uniform could better be described as a bikini top with hot pants. Her long hair fanned around her face in a riotous mass of curls. Emma considered telling her to pin it back then decided to see if it got in the girl's way before raising objections. 

Maria seemed to be competing with Theresa for Roberto's attention. The feline girl was practically leaning against his shoulder, one clawed hand resting lightly on his upper-arm. Her attention seemed to be making Roberto nervous, a quick scan of his mind told Emma it wasn't Feral's inhuman appearance that was making him squirm, it was the fact that he'd found her dismembering a small animal she'd found roaming the grounds. Maria's choice of clothing also appeared to be in competition with Theresa's. She wore a sleeveless maroon leotard. While it covered a bit more than Theresa's ensemble, Maria's served the secondary purpose of compressing the thick fur covering her torso to reveal some curves that might otherwise have been missed. 

Emma clapped her hands lightly, calling the group to attention. "Attention, darlings. I didn't call you here to admire one another." She said. "A little bird told me Xavier's group has been summoned to help deal with a child who reacted badly to the government's inquisition." 

"What does that have to do with us?" Roberto asked. "The X-Men'll take care of it." 

"Oh I'm certain that Charles' X-Men are quite capable of bring one frightened child to heel. However, I am concerned about what will happen to the boy afterwards." 

"What do you mean?" Xi'an asked. 

"This terrified boy took down two of SHEILD's finest." Emma's eyes gleamed with a covetous light. "Xavier turned one of his own over to them. Do you think he'll protect this child? Do you think SHEILD will have any mercy for one of us who showed them for the ineffectual buffoons they are?" 

Xi'an shook her head grimly. 

"Do I get to hurt someone?" Feral asked. 

Emma frowned at the girl. "You will delay the X-Men while I collect your new classmate. Think of this as your entrance exam." 

Roberto spent the rest of the trip chewing on his lower lip, wondering which of his friends he'd be expected to fight.

* * *

Rogue stood at Xavier's shoulder, the rest of her team clustered behind them as they waited for the wheel chair lift to unfold itself outside of the hatch. 

A subsonic howl set the hair on their arms standing on end as it sheared through the metal and turned the lift into so much scrape. 

Rogue spun Xavier's chair around and pulled him deeper into the safety of the jet then leapt through the ruined hatchway. A few moments later Cannonball, Jubilee and the Scarlet Witch joined her outside. They found themselves confronted by Xi'an, Roberto and Maria. 

Theresa swooped back and forth across the sky, wailing. The pitch of her voice changed and the X-Men scattered as the ground beneath their feet was blasted apart. 

Cannonball faced off against Roberto. "You're fighting against us now?" He asked uncertainly. 

"If I have to." Roberto replied. He didn't meet Sam's eyes. "We aren't letting the Professor turn that kid over to SHEILD." 

Rogue danced around the battlefield, deliberately holding herself back so that Theresa's strikes looked like near misses. Frustrated, convinced she could hit the stripe-haired X-Man if she tried just a little harder, Theresa's blasts got increasingly reckless. Rogue paused just in front of Feral then darted out of the way, leaving Theresa's attack to take down her own teammate. 

Xi'an held back from the battle to evaluate her opponents. Rogue seemed the primary threat, but the mercurial speed of her thoughts made it difficult for Xi'an to grasp them. 

"Sam, get in the air." Rogue ordered. "Jubilee, Wanda, what are yah waiting for?"

* * *

Emma strolled through the testing facility, past a half-dozen frozen SHEILD soldiers. As she passed by Emma rearranged their memories to her liking. When she was certain they would remain entranced Emma transformed, as her skin turned diamond-hard the babble of other people's thoughts went silent in her mind. 

She knocked politely on the door to the room where Starsmore had been cornered. When there was no response she turned the doorknob and walked in, confident in her own invulnerability. 

The room was silent despite the psionic fire filling every corner. Coolly Emma strode through the inferno to stand over the brown-haired teen huddled in fetal position in the far corner of the room. "Quite the display." She commented. 

It was the fearless, conversational tone that caught the boy's attention more than anything else. Slowly he uncurled enough to stare up at her. His huge, soulful brown eyes blinked at her in disbelief. 

Emma studied him for a moment. A ragged line of dark bangs crossed his forehead, his cheekbones where sharply defined and if his nose was a little on the large side his eyes balanced it. Emma imagined that he must have been extremely popular with the girls; that would probably make it more difficult to adapt to his mutation. Below the boy's roman nose his face was gone, replaced with orange flames that seemed to originate from somewhere deep within his body. From what Emma could see behind his knees the damage extended to his stomach. The light from the psionic fire illuminated the ragged remains of his chest cavity from within giving the impression that the boy's body was nothing more than a hollow chamber, marginally containing a being of pure energy. 

"I take it I'd be wise not to expect much in the way of a dialogue at the moment." Emma said. "Which works out rather nicely since I'd rather you just listen for the moment. I'm Emma Frost, a mutant like yourself. At one time I also found myself beset by powers I didn't understand and couldn't control. Like you I saw my life slipping into disaster. I mastered my new abilities and turned them to my advantage. I can help you do the same. I can take you out of this place and hide you from those who would threaten you. I can teach you to find the strength to never need fear anyone again. Right now all I ask from you in return is for you to calm yourself and make an effort to reign in your powers." 

Emma forced herself to project an air of patience as the boy digested her words and struggled to comply with her request. 

Gradually the psionic fire receded; it retreated back into the boy's body. When the room had cleared enough for her to do so safely Emma reverted to flesh and blood, once her teleapathy returned she gently reached into Jonathan's mind and helped him to control his power. 

See that wasn't so hard.Emma projected. 

What're ya doing inside me head?Jonathan demanded. 

Welcome to the world of telepaths.Emma replied with a smile as she recognized his 'voice' as a telepathic projection rather than simply being a thought she'd picked up. It seems I won't have to worry about how you'll communicate after all. Come along now, you'll want to meet your classmates.

* * *

Xi'an made her choice as Jubilee shot a stream of fireworks at Roberto, she reached into the younger girl's mind and took over. 

Mechanically Jubilee turned her powers on Wanda. The Goth Girl scowled darkly as she ducked behind the X-Jet's landing gear. "Why are you attacking me?" Wanda snarled. She retaliated with a hex. 

Jubilee's plasmiods began exploding the instant they left her fingers. The close proximity explosions left her stunned. 

Roberto charged Wanda only to go sprawling as Rogue hooked a leg out from under him. Above them Theresa avoided Cannonball's clumsy attacks with the aerial grace of a dragonfly while he shrugged off her attacks as if they were no more dangerous than raindrops. 

Upon seeing her avatar go down Xi'an turned her abilities on Wanda. At the feel of a foreign presence in her mind Wanda shrieked in outrage. The frail focusing crystal that hung before her mind's eye shattered. 

A blue glow surrounded Wanda; it pulsated as her control over her powers wavered. She pointed at Xi'an, a blue bolt of power leapt at the Asian girl. Both girls screamed in pain as the effect of Wanda's power reverberated through the link Xi'an had forged between their minds. 

This stops now!Xavier projected as he severed the link between Xi'an and Wanda. At the same time he quieted both their powers. 

Very impressive,Emma's mental voice was smug, but belated. Time to be on our way students. We have what we came for. 

Roberto sent Sam and Jubilee a look that was both regretful and relieved. He slung the unconscious Feral over his shoulder and began his retreat. 

Sam abandoned his battle with Theresa and landed in Roberto's path. "Why are yah with them?" He demanded. 

Roberto glanced at the ground. "This is where my father wants me. Just leave it at that." 

Sam hesitated. 

Let them go.Xavier project. I do not approve of Ms. Frost's tactics but the situation has been controlled. Fighting amongst ourselves will only confirm humanity's poor opinion of us.

* * *

Nervously Bobby and Alex stood outside the med lab door with their ears pressed against it as they listened to the conversation from inside. 

"It itches!" Paige complained. 

"That is because the epidermis was damaged." Moira said. "Scratching will only make it worse." 

The two boys winced. 

"I brought chess." Jamie said. 

Bobby took a deep breath and reached for the door. Alex caught his wrist. "What if she doesn't want to see us?" 

"As soon as Sam gets back from his mission and finds out we hurt her we'll be joining Paige in the Infirmary anyway." Bobby said. "I figure the apology will sound more sincere if we give it before her big brother pulverizes us." 

"Isn't Sam one of your best friends?" Alex asked. 

Bobby shrugged. "Paige is his little sister, she doesn't have powers, not only did I forget to protect her it was my power that hurt her. Friends or not Sam's going to want to kill me." 

"Assuming Rogue doesn't get us first." Alex commented. "That girl was rabid." 

"Rogue has a low tolerance for stupidity." Jamie said as he opened the door and glared at them. "I could see her deciding that that Sam has the stronger claim though. Either way you're screwed. I could almost feel sorry for you, except it's going to be fun to watch. What are you waiting for, go grovel." 

"Thanks for the pep talk." Bobby muttered. He and Alex stepped past Jamie. 

Paige sat cross-legged on one of the beds, her right arms was swathed in bandages from fingertip to above the elbow. She stole a glance at Moira's back then moved to scratch at her bandaged arm. 

"Paige." Moira reprimanded without turning. 

"Does every mom-type in the world have eyes in the back of their head?" Paige exclaimed. 

"Yes dear." Moira replied calmly. 

"Um Paige?" Bobby began. "I'm, we're real sorry about what happened. I got caught up in blasting stuff and forgot you could get hurt. Is there anything we could do?" 

Paige traded a look with Jamie. "Give me twenty minutes and I'll start putting a list together." She said. 

Alex and Bobby looked worried. "Sure Paige, you'll tell Sam we're apologizing right?" Bobby said. 

Paige smiled. As they retreated they heard Jamie say. "Personal slaves? I like how you think." 

"Lots of brothers." Paige explained. "A guilty conscious is better than gold." 

Paige stared longingly at her bandaged are. "Ah can't believe how bad this itches. I feel like scratching my skin right off." 

"Don't you dare." Moira said. 

"But Ah really, really want to." 

"No." 

"But…"


	6. Shunned

**Shunned**

Disclaimer: Characters and setting are the property of Marvel, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

Thanks for the feedback: LadyEvils, Jaina12, soulstress, IceBlueRose, Risty, Raniatlw, DemonRogue13, Riderazzo 

Well this update wasn't quite as slow as last time. Still slow, but not as bad. I'm trying but RL can be very hectic sometimes.

* * *

At Bayville High Kitty's team continued their first day back. "I'll see you after class." Kitty said as she left Rahne at the gym door. "If anyone tries to hurt you, you come tell me." 

Rahne gulped. "Do I really have to go?" 

"We need two phys ed credits to graduate." Kitty replied. "Look everyone's being pretty non-violent this year, you probably don't have anything to worry about." 

Rahne sighed and trudged into the locker room. The other girls made a point of moving away from her. The ones who didn't turn their backs on her glared at her suspiciously as if they expected her to attack them like some ravenous beast. Their stares made Rahne self-conscious about changing. 

The door to the locker room opened and closed with a slam. Amanda ran in. "Geeze I'm late!" She exclaimed. "But you know how it is when your boyfriend walks you to class." 

Amanda paused as she spotted Rahne standing alone in the center of the room. "Rahne, I didn't know you were in this class." Amanda urged Rahne over to the lockers and started pulling out her gym clothes. 

Rahne took hers out of her bag then looked around for an empty locker to claim. 

"We've got a new gym teacher this year." Amanda said conversationally. "Mr. Jackson, he a real hottie, half the girls in here have crushes." 

Rahne smiled a little as Amanda's cheerful gossip relaxed her. 

A few minutes later they were assembled in the gym with the rest of the class. 

As advertised Mr. Jackson was classically handsome with dark blonde hair and shockingly blue eyes. He smiled at Rahne. "You must be Ms. Sinclair. I heard… Logan, was responsible for physical training at your other school. I'm sure you'll be an interesting addition to the class." 

Even though his tone was friendly Rahne knew that her hackles would be standing on end if she were in her wolf-form. She wondered which of Mr. Logan's other names had been on the tip of this man's tongue. 

"Wow, I didn't expect any of the teachers would break ranks." Amanda said quietly. "All of Kurt's have been giving him the silent treatment. They don't even call his name for roll call." 

"I don't like him." Rahne said. "He smells like lies."

* * *

Kelly stepped into his office and started coughing as a cloud of cigarette smoke bellowed out. 

"This is a no-smoking campus!" Kelly snapped as he glared at the young man in a rumpled white shirt and slacks. "And get your feet off my desk." 

"You won't let me drink in this bleeding country, but you can't take away me cigs." The younger man protested with a scowl. His feet didn't move. 

"Who are you and what are you doing in my office?" Kelly demanded. 

"Didn't Jackson tell you? I'm the new football coach he promised to find." 

"I told him I was looking for a soccer coach and you hardly look like an athlete." Kelly glared at the cigarette dangling from the dark haired young man's lips. 

"That's what I told Jackson, but he said I must know something about football, soccer to you yanks, then he told me it was for a girls soccer team, so I said sure." 

"You must be joking." Kelly said. 

"Of course, the mercenary business has been slow lately so I decided to take up teaching. After what I've heard about your school I figured a background in armed conflict would be a plus on me resume." 

Mr. Jackson, Bayville's new PE and health teacher arrived at Kelly's office before the Principal found a suitable reply. "I see you've met Wisdom." He said as he slipped past Kelly and stepped into the office. He grabbed the younger man's ankles and shoved his feet off the desk then grabbed the cigarette from his mouth and put it out. "Pete, we agreed you'd be using your company manners." 

"You can't seriously expect me to hire this, this person." Kelly exclaimed. "He's worse than the mutants." 

Pete Wisdom grinned smugly. 

"It's not as if there are many people willing to work here." Jackson said. "Wisdom wasn't my first choice to coach the tem, he was the only one of my prospects who called back. Pete's an exchange student at a local college. He'll behave himself around the students…" 

"Or you'll hand me my ass. Yeah, yeah, I remember." Wisdom said sardonically. "Wouldn't want to corrupt any impressionable young minds now would I?" 

"Pete, do me a favor and shut up." Jackson remarked. "Principal Kelly, it was a damn shame about your former coach's legal problems. I'm sure it'll all get straightened out in court, but not in time for the season. On such short notice Pete's the best I could scare up. Either hire him or forget the year's soccer season which'd be a real shame considering Bayville's reputation in the sport." 

"Alright, he's hired." Kelly surrendered. "But I'll fire you just as quickly if I catch the slightest hint of inappropriate behavior around the students. That includes smoking!" 

Pete rolled his eyes. "Sure mate, I'll go post try out notices or something." He said with a casual wave as he walked out.

* * *

"It was like there was an invisible force field around them." Kitty thought as she and Todd walked toward the cafeteria. No matter how crowded the halls were the other students managed to pull away to leave them set apart from the rest of Bayville's student body. 

No one spoke to them; made comments they were meant to over hear sure; but no one spoke to them directly, not even to insult them. 

Kitty caught a few embarrassed, shame-filled looks but when she realized Amanda was being as pointedly ostracized as they were she understood why no one else was daring to cross the line. 

Amanda had sided with them. As far as her classmates were concerned she was a mutant by association if not by genetics. Still Amanda's choice had actually been made the previous year when she'd continued to date Kurt after their secret came out. The closer Amanda became to Kurt and, by extension, to his friends the further she drifted away from the rest of Bayville. When she'd met Kurt at the school doors she hadn't stepped over the line drawn in the sand, she'd merely acknowledged which side of the gaping chasm her friends stood on. 

The other students who might not approve of what was being done weren't going to risk their entire social existence for an ideal. Kitty couldn't quite bring herself to blame them. 

An expectant silence filled the hall as the two mutants approached Todd's locker. 

Kitty felt her blood boil as the meaning of the flyer posted there sunk into her brain. A grainy picture of Lance with the caption "The only good mutant " 

After a moment Todd said. "Lance would think that's hilarious." 

Kitty ripped the flyer down and yanked Todd into an empty classroom. "They think Lance is dead." She whispered, her voice taunt with fury. "Fill in the blanks, Toad!" 

Todd rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know what they meant. But Lance ain't dead. That's why he'd think it's funny. 'Sides, I didn't want to give those assholes the satisfaction." 

Kitty took a deep breath. "You're right, I know you're right. But they're all so **happy** thinking that Duncan murdered Lance. 

Todd glanced at the floor and shrugged. "I promised Moira and the Prof that I wouldn't do anything… creative." Todd said. When he looked up his golden eyes were unusually serious. "Lance is safe from all these creeps, no matter how much they want him dead. We get to go home to the Institute after just seven hours; there we're safe, we have friends and no one treats us like freaks. Them going to all that work to treat us like we're diseased or something; it's weak. No matter how much they don't like me I'm happier now then I've ever been in my life and they can't do anything to take that away from me. So I'm going to go out there, let 'em do their worst and laugh in their faces." Todd grinned. "Who'd of thought it? The police **are** good for something. I've been getting beat up at school for ten years, now they think they can bother me by staring? What a bunch of morons, yo." 

Kitty watched him hop out into the hall. "Right now I don't know if I even want to co-existence with them." She said to herself.

* * *

"One whole school day and no 'mischief'." Todd said as he and Kurt joined the others on the front steps. "I need a reward." 

"How about a mall trip?" Kitty suggested. "I ordered a couple of books, they're waiting for me at Walden's." 

"That doesn't sound like much of a reward." Todd commented. 

"I heard there's a sale." Amara said. The other girls' eyes lit up. 

"My friend, ve are out numbered." Kurt laughed as he slapped Todd on the shoulder. "It's best to be graceful about it. Come, I vill let you beat me at Hydro-racer." 

"Like you could do anything else." 

"Boys." Amara said as she rolled her eyes. 

That decided, the five mutants plus Amanda turned toward the mall.

* * *

Within the bowls of an entirely different school another meeting was taking place. 

"You made me proud today." Emma said with a smile at her prize students. "You did very well against the X-Men, you've all earned mutant names. Feral has already made her preferred name known. I'd like the rest of you to select names of your own." 

Theresa grinned. "I've been thinking about that. Call me Siren." 

"Very appropriate." Emma replied. "You will be a siren luring men to their doom with your voice." 

"I'll stick with Sunspot, thanks." Roberto said. 

Emma frowned. "Are you sure you don't want something of your own choosing? Something grander perhaps?" 

"Sunspot suits me." 

"Xi'an, have you chosen as well?" Emma asked as she dismissed Roberto with her body language. 

The demure girl glanced to the side, she didn't exactly look away from Emma but she avoided direct eye contact. "What is wrong with my name?" 

"It is the name the human world recognizes you by. We do not recognize its authority over us. We are a species above them. You will be called Karma, you control the fates of those you touch." 

"What about the new guy?" The recently dubbed Siren asked. "He's going to be one of us isn't he? That's why you wanted him." 

"Yeah, he's not one of those should-be-preys upstairs." Feral said. 

"It will take time but Chamber will be your teammate. He's proven himself against the enemy." Emma said. "When they came for him he protected himself even though he was alone and new to his powers." 

"So when do the rest of us get the chance to sink our claws into someone?" Feral asked. 

"Soon darling girl, soon."

* * *

Back at the Bayville mall Kurt and Todd stood outside of a store called "Excalibur" and stared longingly at the swords displayed inside. 

"Ahh, that is so cool!" Kurt exclaimed. He eyed a slender rapier with visions of swashbuckling heroes dancing in his eyes. 

Todd left fingerprints on the window blocking him from an ivory hilted katana. "I could lift 'em, wouldn't even need to use my powers." 

"Todd!" Kurt hissed. 

"Come on, don't you want to hold it, take a few swings?" 

"No! Maybe, just to try them. I could pop us back after closing." Kurt suggested. "Ve could try them out, just borrow them for a bit. It's vouldn't be like really stealing." 

Todd grinned. "I always knew that you X-ies weren't hopelessly dull." 

"Ve'll put them back afterwards." Kurt stipulated. 

"Right, we can come back any time we like, yo." Todd said. "Think the girls are done shopping?" 

"Not likely." Kurt replied. "I've done this before."

* * *

Kitty smiled at Rahne. "Thanks for coming with me. I know you probably think the bookstore is boring and you'd rather be with Amara and Amanda." 

"I don't mind." Rahne replied "Ye've been getting a lot of texts lately." 

Kitty glanced around then whispered conspiratorially. "I'm stocking up. Lance and I do pretty well studying on our own when we work together. I've been making contacts at a couple of universities, people I can email when I've got questions. I've been collecting class notes, texts, old tests. I'll graduate High School at the end of this year because of all the extra studying I did this summer. I want to study engineering, I love seeing what makes things work, playing with machines, but I'm not waiting five years to see Lance again." 

"So yer going?" Rahne asked. 

"It's not hard to fight with my parents right now." Kitty said. "There really is this rift between us 'cause of how they're acting about Lance. By the end of the year no one will be surprised if I stop calling. No one will connect me with Lance's disappearance 'cause of the time lapse. I really miss him and I'm starting to hate everyone. I'm not the poster-child type. I don't want to forgive them or make nice anymore. I want to beat the next person who makes a crack about Lance until they're broken and bleeding." 

"Oh…" Rahne responded awkwardly. "I wanted to check out the mystery section. I'll be back in a couple minutes, okay Kitty?"

* * *

"What do you think of this one?" Amanda asked as she did a model turn in the dressing room of another store. 

"The v-neck was better." Amara replied. "I've been thinking about trying out for the soccer team. Kelly will have a fit but they registered my powers. They know I can't cheat at soccer unless I set the ball on fire or something. I'm almost as good a player as Jean was; we all know she got MVP fair and square. If they don't let me play I'm going to raise a stink. I don't like being ignored." 

"I'll try out too." Amanda volunteered. "I'm not that good, but I can be moral support. Besides I heard the new coach was recruited by Mr. Jackson and he seems cool, maybe everything will work out." 

"Rahne doesn't like him." Amara said. 

"I can't imagine why, he was nice to her." 

"Rahne has good instincts, it's the wolf in her." Amara shrugged. "I wouldn't trust him." 

"We're not all against you, you know." Amanda said quietly. "Mr. Jackson's trying, you could give him the benefit of the doubt." 

"I'm still taking classes at Bayville aren't I, despite how they treated us today." Amara replied irritably. "We should go find the guys. Todd's stay out of trouble quotient for the day is probably up and Pietro's last class at the college will be done in fifteen minutes. We've got a team practice scheduled as soon as he gets back to the Institute." 

"I really think you should give Mr. Jackson a chance." Amanda insisted.


	7. Trading Stories

**Trading Stories**

Disclaimer: Premise and characters are the property of Marvel, I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit fun.

Thanks for the feedback: Raniatlw, Orca,DemonRogue13, Mirror Mirror

* * *

Sam burst into the infirmary. "Paigey, yah ain't hurt bad are yah? Ah would have been here sooner, but the Prof didn't tell me. Ah, well, he's probably right, but Ah promised Momma Ah'd look out for yah."

"Easy, big brother, I'm not dying or anything." Paige exclaimed. "Dr Moira is taking care of me and Jamie kept me company. My arm still itches like crazy but it doesn't even hurt anymore."

"Bobby is dead." Sam proclaimed. "He never thinks about the consequences! 'Lets go joy riding. Who cares that we smash every vehicle we take; let's fly the plane.' We were damn lucky Kitty and Lance caught us. 'I'll make an iceberg right in front of the boat. 'Cause playin' who sunk the Titanic is fun.' But this is too much."

"You don't really want to beat up Paige's new slaves." Jamie said.

"What?" Sam asked, startled out of his rant.

"Bobby and Alex felt guilty." Paige giggled. "I'm letting them make it up to me. They're finding my favorite flavor of ice cream because it might distract me from how much my arm itches… I swear the itch is spreading. When they get back I've got a letter to the editor for the Daily Bugle. Mail service is spotty out here. I think they'll have to walk it to the post office for me."

"Which will give us plenty of time to think up new stuff." Jamie added. "We've been keeping them jumping for hours."

Sam shook his head. "Ah should've known yah were handling things your own way. Yah always have."

Paige smiled. "I couldn't let you or Josh get away with bullying me now could I?" She scratched at the skin above her bandages and sighed with relief.

The two boys stared at Paige's arm in horror. Long strips of skin had peeled away under her fingers.

Paige gulped. It didn't hurt; in fact it felt really, really good. She tugged at the skin like it was just a peeling sunburn. A strip of skin an inch wide tore off.

"Dr. MacTaggart!" Sam hollered.

The red-haired Scotswoman came running.

Paige kept peeling away sections of her skin. Ragged edges peered out from the top of the bandages. She rolled up her sleeve to get at the skin on her shoulder.

Moira looked at the pink, healthy skin that was being revealed beneath the tatters of Paige's old skin. "Well now, that's a different sort of mutation. Sam, Jamie, why don't you give Paige a bit of privacy while she finishes this up. I'm curious as to whether she'll have repaired her injuries."

The too boys exchanged a disturbed look and hurried out.

* * *

Doug was waiting in Xavier's office when the Professor returned from the X-Men's failed attempt to make contact with Jonothan Starsmore.

"I want to go home. I don't belong in this lunatic asylum." The boy complained.

"I apologize for what happened." Xavier signed. "But I can't send you home. However, you and Paige will be exempted from danger room sessions for now."

"I suppose you think I ought to thank you for not trying to kill me anymore?" Doug snapped. "Look at your campus, the whole student body is composed of a bunch of walking time bombs."

"Mr. Ramsey, I believe you have an appointment with Mr. McCoy." Xavier said, his voice notably cooler.

"Right, to find my non-existent mutation. I keep telling you: I'm not a freak."

Xavier rubbed his forehead. "You aren't making this any easier for yourself."

Doug recognized a dismissal when he heard one. He turned and stalked out of the office. Beast intercepted the frustrated boy on his way to the room he shared with the silver-blonde egomaniac. Doug assumed Xavier had given the blue mutant a heads up.

Hank slung an arm around Doug's shoulders and redirected the teen toward his office. "Just the student I was looking for. I'm certain you simply forgot our much anticipated investigation due to the day's excitement. You wouldn't try to 'ditch' me after all. I know my charming company is sought by all and I promise I won't assign much homework for this class."

Doug sighed as the wave of jovial cheer swept over him in a torrent of words. Mr. McCoy had a way of forging on despite the occasional flash of pain in his eyes that made Doug want to bite his tongue every time the word 'freak' slipped out while he was in the blue-furred mutant's company.

Hank led his most reluctant student to his office and sat him down at a table. Doug's eyes strayed to a stack of pictures set off to one side.

"So I've been going over your records. It seems you have a remarkable aptitude for computer programming. Your first teacher in the subject considered you a prodigy."

The picture was of a wall covered in hieroglyphics. "I've got a talent for something, so I must be a mutant. Let's drag Michael Jordan in here next, he must be a mutant 'cause he's better at basketball than everyone else." Doug replied.

"But he never should have tried baseball." McCoy replied equitably. "Douglas, I'm not trying to take your accomplishment away from you. We know you have an active mutation. You don't look like me, read minds or shoot blasts of energy out of your fingertips ergo it must be something subtle. Areas where you've shown an unusually strong talent are a logical place for me to start looking for your power."

Doug absently pulled the picture closer. The hieroglyphics seemed to call to him, like he could read them if he just looked closer.

"You have an interest in ancient Egypt?" McCoy asked.

Doug pulled his eyes away from the hieroglyphics. "No!" He exclaimed. The way they called to him; his certainty that he could understand them if he wanted to, scared him. If he could do that, could read a language that had been dead for thousands of years like it was no more difficult than interpreting a classmate's bad handwriting, then he wasn't normal and he really did belong here.

"I'm not a mutant. I don't belong here. This is a waste of my time, because I don't have any powers!" Doug stood up and stomped out of the office. As he left he grabbed up several of the photos and stuffed them in his pocket without thinking about it.

McCoy watched the boy go with a feeling of sadness. He knew what it had done to him when he fought to deny his nature.

* * *

Pietro stood in the door to the Institute's secondary gym; it was just a normal workout room, nothing like the danger room; and watched Rogue's work out. He was starting to feel sorry for the punching bag. Nonetheless he opted for the better part of valor and stayed in the background until his girlfriend appeared to be winding down.

"Wanna talk about it?" He asked when Rogue took a break to wipe the sweat off her face.

"No." Rogue stated shortly.

Pietro slipped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Want me to take your mind off it?" He breathed in her ear.

Rogue twisted around to face Pietro. She tilted her head back and he kissed her. Together they relaxed. The stress of adapting to a world that couldn't hope to keep up with them fell away. Rogue let go of her constant fears about touching someone; Pietro couldn't be hurt by her powers, not anymore. The sensation of touch was still so remarkable to Rogue. In spite of the day she'd had she quickly lost herself in the feel of Pietro's mouth moving against hers. As they kissed Pietro backed Rogue against a wall and leaned into her. Behind his back Rogue stripped off her gloves and slid her hands under his shirt. Pietro reached for the fastener on the front of her uniform.

"Oh boy PDA. Maybe I should call Storm." Jubilee interrupted.

"Do and die." Pietro said as he glanced over his shoulder.

"Does that personality absorption thing go both ways?" Jubilee asked. " 'Cause you sound crabby."

"Jubilation, yah know what kind of day I had. If I get rained on instead of spending time with mah boyfriend Ah will take it out of your hide." Rogue growled. She pulled Pietro closer "Come on Pey."

A moment later the gym was empty.

"Mah room?" Rogue asked.

They opened the door and found Kitty reading a letter from Lance she glanced up at the two of them and threw a rolled-up sock. "Go somewhere else."

"My room." Pietro decided.

Wanda glanced up from her brother's computer.

"What-are-you-doing-in-my-stuff?" Pietro demanded.

Wanda took in Rogue's half open shirt and Pietro's general dishevelment and smirked. "What have you been doing brother mine?"

"Lets go somewhere else." Rogue said. They ran down the hall and Rogue pulled Pietro into a coat closet. Rogue pulled Pietro's shirt over his head as he closed the door behind them. Rogue moaned when Pietro's mouth found her throat.

"Uhhh…." Alex and Bobby stood in the door, their mouths hanging open.

Rogue lunged at the boys with murder in her eyes.

"What is going on here?" Xavier asked.

"Next-place?" Pietro whispered to Rogue.

hu-humm.Xavier's mental throat clearing froze the speedsters in their tracks.

"What's a person got to do to get some privacy around here?" Rogue demanded.

"Rogue, we've discussed this…"

"We discussed sex, not making out." Pietro replied.

Xavier just shook his head.

* * *

Upstairs Amara stared into the flames in Pyro's room. Anyone without a fire-philic mutation would have found the room stifling. "Sorry Pyro, I'm not in the mood to read to you tonight." She told the comatosed firebug.

"I know, it's not the end of the world. Roberto and I weren't even dating it was just a little crush. And so what? He's fighting against us. The Brotherhood was against us, Gambit was against us, even Rogue started out a bad guy; now she's a team leader. People change sides, only Roberto went to their side instead of coming to ours."

Amara turned away from the dancing flames to watch Pyro's chest rise and fall. "I don't know why I'm telling you this." She said. Amara giggled nervously. "You know, for an evil pyromaniac you really are a good listener."

"I don't know why I'm getting like this. Roberto and I weren't that close before he went home. Still he was cute and I could see introducing him to my parents someday if things ever got that far. I guess it's just that every time I turn around more and more people are pairing off and I don't want to be left out."

"At first it was just Scott and Jean's endless denial. Then Kitty started sneaking around with Lance and Amanda asked Kurt out. The next thing I know Rogue and Pietro are attached at the lips, Tabby goes and moves in with Forge, Rahne's chasing Todd, I Wanda and Gambit are sleeping together</I or they were anyway before the big blow up. Now I think both Bobby and Alex are 'noticing' Jubilee and Jamie's spending an awful lot of time with Paige."

"A freaking thirteen year old is closer to having a relationship than I am!"

"I mean whose left? Sam's sweet I suppose, but definitely not suave or romantic. I know there are the new students; they're not all jerks like that Ramsey guy. But, well, the first two classes were sort of special. We all lived through the Sentinel attack and the mansion getting blown up together. We were here when Bayville High got shot up. We fought Apocalypse together. We share the secret about Lance being alive and Scott's Underground… I just feel like I should be with someone who was a part of all that."

Amara sighed. She tucked her feet under her body and turned back to the fire.

* * *

The Shadow King retreated from the astral plane back to his mortal shell. The Xavier creature was beginning to annoy him. His feeding network had been severely restricted by Xavier's actions. He had been forced to rebuild Magneto's army of minions from the foundations. The little telepath wouldn't confront him directly; he just sniped at him from a distance. The Shadow King had to acknowledge that the Xavier wasn't stupid.

The Shadow King had tried to manipulate Xavier into sacrificing the Alvers boy. Now the boy was not his and not dead, that was unacceptable. Still the Alvers boy had served his purpose. The Shadow King had kept a leash on the boy ever since finding the family. Left to it's own devices the girl's body might have gained immunity from the effect of her power but he'd pushed her mutation to develop at an unnatural pace. He had been delighted when her brother witnessed her immolation. He'd collected data on the boy, turned it over to Shen then he'd made sure Magneto forgot him. The world had done the rest, all the Shadow King had to do was sit back and feed off the boy's dark emotions.

The Shadow King had kept dozens of prospective mutants under his observation; he'd just needed one child to develop a highly destructive power. The world was a darker place for what he'd done with Alvers. Over a decade of planning had paid off in spades, even with all of Xavier's attacks he was stronger than ever before. But Lance Alvers was his, had been his since he'd first become aware of the three-year-old sitting in the waiting room while his older sister was examined. The only master he' would ever release the boy to was death and even then Alvers would always wear his brand. Between the courts, drugs and schemes circling the boy like wolves Lance shouldn't have lived out the summer, only he had. Now the Shadow King's possession was gone, stolen and Xavier was making a career out of destroying his leashes to the others who belonged to the Shadow King. He sensed the telepath's desire to take them all from him, even the mortal shell that hosted him.

The Shadow King was violently possessive of Lance after investing just over a decade of patience and planning into the teen. He had been carefully manipulating the one called Magneto into becoming his conduit to the physical plane for nearly thirty years. Just knowing that Xavier desired to free his old friend was an insult beyond bearing to the Shadow King's way of thinking.

The dark entity set about securing his assets and planning for the confrontation to come.

* * *

Theresa didn't remember exactly what had started the fight with her father but it was rapidly spiraling out of control.

"Uncle Tom wouldn't have let mom die!" Theresa couldn't believe what had just come out of her mouth, but she was much too angry to apologize. She spun on her heel and was about to storm off.

Sean caught her by the wrist and jerked her back around to face him. Pain radiated up and down Theresa's arm. She opened her mouth and screamed, unleashing her powers at her father from point blank range.

Sean was flung into the wall then fell to the floor, unconscious.

* * *

Xi'an gritted her teeth as the twins rough housed. They bounced on their beds and generally refused to settle down and go to sleep.

A hundred times before Xi'an had resisted the temptation to use her powers to force them to bend to her will. This time she gave into to it.

* * *

Emma frowned as she felt a blackness encroaching on her thoughts. She increased the strength of the mental shields erected around herself and her student. Then she turned her attention back to Jonothan.

Ms. Frost, what was that?

I am not certain, but you should guard yourself against it. Do you see how I'm shielding us?

* * *

Roberto squirmed uncomfortably as he scrolled through the tapes and articles covering Avalanche's trial. Ms. Frost had ordered him to research what had happened. When Roberto had left the Institute the Brotherhood's status had been a question mark. They weren't enemies anymore but they weren't exactly friends either. Sort of like guests, distant relative who you didn't really know or like, but you had to make nice with anyway.

Lance had been extremely withdrawn because of his illness and Roberto really only knew the other mutant by reputation but they'd lived under the same roof. Roberto couldn't help but think Xavier should have done more to protect the other boy.

When he'd lived at the Institute he'd thought of Xavier as infallible. Xavier's dream had been beyond question. Now he wondered.

If what he was looking at was the price for living in peaceful co-existence with humans maybe Xavier's dream wasn't worth it. Maybe it was better to attack them first and get the advantage after all.

* * *

Feral slunk through the bushes; her eyes were fixed on her prey. Just a little closer and she could pounce.

One of the chaff blundered through the clearing and startled the raccoon into hiding.

Feral bared her teeth in an angry snarl then she took a more appraising look at the student. His head was sparsely feathered and over-balanced by a large beak. His arms also bore feathers and were shaped as if his genetics hadn't determined whether he should have arms or wings. Feral licked her lips.

"Frosty wouldn't like it." The feliniod thought regretfully.

"She wouldn't need to know." The shadows whispered. "And she approves of discretion not coddling genetic dead ends."

Feral stood up and approached the bird-boy with the air of a demure young girl. "Hi, I'm Maria." She said. "I thought, well, it'd be nice to talk with someone else who… looked different."

The boy stared at her with wide eyes. "Um I, um, I'm Barnell, but everyone calls me Beak."

"Beak, that's cute." Feral smiled without showing too much fang as she urged the boy deeper into the wooded area at the back of the Academy.

"… It wouldn't be so bad if I could fly. I mean I wouldn't even mind looking like this if I had a useful mutation." Beak said.

Feral decided that she was far enough from prying eyes. She stepped away from Beak, her tail lashed. "It all works out in the end." She said. "Some people are just born to be predators and others, prey."

Beak gulped as Feral's teeth and claws gained new significance. He backed away from her, his eyes were fearful.

Feral sank down into a crouch. "I bet you taste like chicken." She said.

"I'm a person, you can't eat me!" Beak protested.

"Funny, you look like meat to me." Feral replied. She slunk forward.

Beak's nerve broke. He turned to run. Feral pounced.

Author's note: I enjoyed doing that to Beak way too much. )


End file.
